Gone
by Sleep Where It's Quiet
Summary: Calypso has been released from her prison, Ogygia, and has come to Camp Half-Blood. She and Leo are supposed to be able to enjoy their time as a couple now, but their troubles aren't over. A new archenemy, or three to be exact, threaten to come between the two, and a dangerous quest may uproot Calypso and Leo altogether. Rated T just in case. Cover belongs to Viria.
1. Chapter 1: Reunited

Chapter One (Leo's PoV)

It's been a hard morning at the forge. One of my half-sisters, Nyssa, built a mini helicopter that flies around and brings twigs in for kindling for forge fires. It malfunctioned and flew around lopsidedly, cutting and scratching my cabin mates as they worked, extracting some "Gods-dammit"s. I got a decent-sized cut on my arm before the little copter took a suicidal dive into the lava pool I was working at. In a last defiant action, the helicopter broke the sword I was making in half.

Not only was there the helicopter incident, but a prototype firework for the July 4th fireworks display blew up, covering everyone in orange glitter from head-to-toe.

It's been such a hard morning, I don't even think about heading off to Bunker 9 after lunch.

The lunchtime horn sounds.

"All right guys," I say. "Fall in!"

Everyone puts down their tools with a sigh of relief and we line up according to seniority.

Since I'm head counselor, I'm first in line. We trudge down to the dining pavilion and sit the Hephaestus table. No one talks; everyone just stares dejectedly at the rough wooden surface of the table.

The food is served, and I scrape some of my taco meat into the flaming brazier and mutter "Hephaestus…" The smoke floating upwards smells like bonfires, and for some reason, oil and Tabasco sauce. Festus used to love oil and Tabasco sauce. I frown.

When everyone is seated at their respective tables, Chiron pounded his hoof against the head table. "Campers!"

Yeah, I said hoof. Chiron is a centaur. Waist up, he's a normal human. But waist down, he's a white stallion.

"Campers!" Chiron says again. "We have a visitor. She's been, ah, away for a long time. So here she is-"

Some new camper, I guess. I go back to my taco.

"-Calypso!"

(Calypso's PoV)

Chiron says "Calypso!"

I hear a gasp from a table off to my right, a table full of kids who look beaten down and tired. Some have singed-looking hair and eyebrows. All except for one.

He has curly black hair, and an impish grin. If you look up 'scrawny' in the dictionary, you would see his picture. His face is covered in soot, and he has a cut on his arm. It's the boy I vowed I would not fall for. The boy I wished would return each day after he left.

My repair boy. My Leo.

He jumps up from the table and runs towards me. His eyes shine. Tears pool in my eyes as well. He catches me in a hug and holds me tight. All those nights of dreaming, or wishing my repair boy would come back to me, and now I'm here. And he's here.

"You're here. You're… you're here," he says.

"Yeah," I say. Tears roll down my face now. Leo wipes them away with his thumb.

"You're here," he says again, "with me."

"Together," I say between sobs. "We're together." Leo holds me close. Then he stares into my eyes and gives me a long kiss.

"I love you," I say when we break apart.

"I love you too," he says. "And you are staying here with me. I'm not letting you go again."

I smile through my tears.

"I'm staying here. With you. Not going anywhere."

Leo smiles shakily and hugs me again. Then he kisses me once more, and it's just the two of us in the world. No one else matters. We are alone. Together.


	2. Chapter 2: A Not So Romantic Tour

**Quick A/N: Sorry for the lack of A/N last chapter- I forgot to add it! So here's the basics: This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so I hope it's okay. It's a #Caleo fanfiction, obviously. I really hope all you PJO/HOO fans like it! **

Chapter Two (Leo's PoV)

Calypso is here. She's actually here. I missed her through the war against Gaea (we won with minimal casualties). I missed her in the ten months that lead from the war up till now.

She was all I thought about for so long. I barely noticed when Nico arrived at Camp Half-Blood and said he would stay until July 4th, which is in a month. I also barely noticed when Percy and Annabeth announced they were going to Camp Jupiter for while, leaving on the 15th of July, three days after Annabeth's 17th birthday.

Every day I thought of Calypso. I remembered the way she thought of Percy while I was on Ogygia. The way he treated her, promising to get her exile ended, then abandoning her. Knowing how he treated her made me change the way I thought of him.

When Percy and Annabeth talked about their time in Tartarus, the story of the curses came up a lot. Annabeth killed one curse, one of the _arai_, they said, and suddenly thought that Percy had abandoned her. Percy said his initial reaction when he figured out it was Calypso who had cursed Annabeth was shock. No, she wouldn't, he'd thought. Percy made it seem like Calypso was the bad guy. Bad girl. Whatever.

But I know just how deeply hurt Calypso was when Percy abandoned her. And I never will think that it was Calypso's fault. Maybe Annabeth deserved the curse, I don't know. But I do know that Percy can't act like Calypso is evil.

After lunch, I took Calypso for a tour of Camp Half-Blood. As we walked, we held hands, and it felt totally natural.

We walk past the swordfight arena. Percy is there. I hadn't noticed him at lunch (Annabeth wasn't there either), so I guess he doesn't know Calypso is here. That thought is confirmed when Percy's eyes widen as Calypso walks by. She sees him, and her eyes fill with tears. She covers her mouth with her hand. Percy stumbles forward a few steps, then looks down, shakes his head, and turns away.

Calypso collapses into my arms. She shakes with silent sobs. My heart aches to see her this way, and I want to go up to Percy and give him a Pegasus-sized smack in the face. Percy looks back, and his face softens. "Calypso…" He gulps audibly.

Calypso raises her tear-stained face from my shirt. I tighten my arms around her. "Don't come near me, Percy Jackson. Stay away from me. I never want to see you again," she says, her voice low.

Percy turns away again. He starts to walk away, casting a final glance at Calypso.

She falls into me again, crying again. Her sobs are quiet, but they break my heart into hundreds of pieces smaller than a pin head.

(Calypso's PoV)

After we see Percy, the romantic tour of Camp Half-Blood doesn't seem so romantic. I still hiccup with the occasional half-sob, and Leo stares at the ground as if Percy's actions are somehow his fault. Even the strawberry fields don't really cheer me up, and I love to garden.

When we get to the cabins, Leo points me towards the big blue house with white trim, consequently named the Big House. He says he wants to take a nap, and then looks me in the eyes. His voice is husky. "I'm sorry, Calypso. It's all… it's all my fault. If I had known Percy was at the arena; if I had known that's what he'd do, I would never had brought you there. It's my fault. I'm so sorry."

I put a finger to his lips. "Leo. It's definitely not your fault. How could you have known? Percy acted very immature. Besides, I don't have feelings for him anymore." My voice has no hesitation in it whatsoever. Even if I still cared a tiny bit for Percy, the way he acted would've turned me away from him anyway. "I love you, Leo."

He smiles sadly. Kisses me. And then he's gone; supposedly off to take a nap. I know he actually wants to be alone and feel bad for how Percy treated me when I know there's nothing Leo could've done.

I sigh. When will that boy realize that not everything in this world is his fault? I love Leo more than anything, and he believes that whenever I'm hurt or broken, he's somehow behind it.

I look back to the Big House Leo pointed out earlier. Chiron will want to know how my first couple of hours here at Camp Half-Blood have been. By the look of the sun, dinner will be in an hour or so. Who knows how many questions Chiron will ask?

I walk slowly towards the Big House, unable to push away the feelings of sadness from Leo's dejected expression and him running away from me because he thought it was his fault.

**Longer A/N: Hi there. I'm Little Defiance (but you probably already know that). I hope you like this second chapter of Stay With Me Now. And now some stuff:**

**~The title probably seems really cliché, and also doesn't make any sense now, but it will come into play later.**

**~The rating is T, just in case. There is **_**some**_** stuff that makes it T-material, and I would rather not cut that out.**

**~I'm sorry about the short chapters, but they will get longer later.**

**~The characters in this story have more of a kick to them. I like to think that the war on Gaea kind of made them tougher. That's why they might seem misrepresented throughout the story.**

**~I'll try to upload once a week, but from the 20****th****-26****th****, I'll be at an engineering camp in Madison (I'm from Wisconsin).**

**So I hope you all like it! Reviews make my day, so thanks for the nice one I received. Also, if you like bajancanadian, my sister, Quiet Defiance, has a great fanfiction going. Thank you, fellow demigods, for reading this, and reading the A/N. Next chapter next week!**

** -Little Defiance**


	3. Chapter 3: Loss of Appetite

Chapter Three (Leo's PoV)

I lie on my bed in the Hephaestus cabin, Cabin 9, and think. I think about the way Percy treated Calypso: he turned away, maybe because he didn't want to see Calypso after the whole curse fiasco. Or at least, that's my guess. My dad once told me that he is better with machines than people. He also said most of his children inherit that from him. But my time on Ogygia has changed me. Calypso rubbed off on me. I feel more in touch with human, or rather demigod, emotions. And I guess that's why instead of just believing everything is my fault, I actually know it.

I wasn't able to protect Calypso from Percy and his dumb grudge against her for cursing Annabeth, and it was my fault she cried.

I pull out some wires and gears from my magic tool belt around my waist and start tinkering. Thirty seconds later, I have a mechanical larger-than-life dragonfly that flutters happily through the warm summer air. It revolves around my head twice before landing on my chest. It wanders up my neck and settles on my forehead. The little thing seems to purr, in a weird mechanical way.

"What," I say, "you want a name?"

The dragonfly chirps.

"Ok. How about, uh, Wingy?"

The dragonfly stomps its feet.

A series of pictures float into my head: a long, bronze body, glowing ruby eyes, snow falling, a giant Greek trireme. "I know," I say, "Festus II."

The dragonfly chirps again and takes off, flying up to a ledge on the ceiling.

The dinner call sounds. I'm the only camper here, so I head out alone. Strange; you'd think after a hard morning at the forge no one would want to return.

When everyone is seated, the food starts arriving. Pizza. I tell my cup to fill with Diet Coke. It does, to the brim. After dumping a slice of pizza into the flaming brazier and mumbling "Hephaestus", I sit back down.

I notice Calypso up at the head table. She looks happier than earlier this afternoon. That's good; I can't stand seeing her sad because I know it's somehow my fault.

Annabeth is at the Athena table with her half-siblings, I notice. Percy's at the Poseidon table with some of his half-siblings. They skipped lunch, but not dinner.

Percy looks over at me. His eyes are hard. He gets up slowly, inclines his head towards the woods, still not breaking eye contact, and walks away.

I guess that's my cue. I stand up and start towards the woods. My pizza lies on the plate, untouched. I don't have much of an appetite now anyway.

(Calypso's PoV)

As I dine on the pie called 'pizza', I notice something strange: Leo's no longer at his table. I look around nervously, and notice something that gives me goose bumps.

Percy is missing from his table.

A mechanical dragonfly speeds past me. It chirps, and then rests beside my left hand. It chirps again before fluttering off towards the woods.

I turn back to my 'pizza'. As I eat, I think about Leo. What can I do to show him that not everything is his fault? I know he feels bad, but as I've said over and over, he can't control the way Percy acts.

I wonder if Leo left to talk to Percy about this afternoon. Hmm.

I continue to ponder this, but eventually, my mind wanders. I wonder where I'll sleep. According to Leo, you live in the cabin of your godly parentage. Well, since my father is the Titan Atlas, I don't exactly have a cabin full of welcoming siblings. I mean, I'm practically a Titan myself. Well, I _am _a Titan, actually.

For three millennia, I was imprisoned on Ogygia for supporting my father in the first Titan war. Every few hundred years, the gods would send a hero to Ogygia. A hero I couldn't help but fall in love with. As soon as I acknowledged that I was in love with them, a magical raft would appear. Even though I tried to convince them to stay with me, they'd leave and go back to the real world. And I watched them go. They would promise to have the gods end my exile. _Percy_ promised he would. But the years went by after the first hero, Odysseus, left and didn't return. More heroes came and went: Drake, Percy, and finally, my repair boy, Leo.

At first, I was disgusted with Leo. This scrawny thing with curly black hair and an impish grin and burns all over his body had destroyed my beachside dining table. "It's not bad enough that I'm exiled? It's not bad enough you take away the few _good_ heroes I'm allowed to meet? You think it's funny to send me this-this charbroiled runt of a boy to ruin my tranquility? This is NOT FUNNY! Take him back!" I'd screeched.

He'd replied: "Hey, Sunshine. I'm right here, you know."

I'd been stubbornly refusing to fall in love with him. He was all about fixing his sphere-something he said was made by the ancient Archimedes. But as time (or whatever passes on Ogygia) marched on, he started becoming more and more appealing.

Finally, as we were having a nice dinner on the beach near the ruins of my old beachside dining table, the magical raft appeared. He couldn't just disappear. But I knew in my fractured heart that the raft was only there because I'd fallen for him.

Leo was stunned when he saw the raft. He seemed sad, almost as if he'd convinced himself he had another week on Ogygia, and now he couldn't even finish dinner. He tried to tell me he would come back for me. I told him no. No man ever finds Ogygia twice. I said I still hate you, and don't give me any empty promises. Leo said how about a full promise? Because he was definitely-. He never finished his sentence. I couldn't help it; I cut him off.

With a kiss.

Then I pushed him away. "That didn't happen," I said, "get out of here." I turned, wiping my stinging eyes and ran off the beach. I couldn't bear to see his face; to see his reaction.

But I turned back one more time. The raft was only a dot on the horizon, but I heard a faint whisper in Leo's voice: "I'm coming back for you, Calypso. I swear it on the River Styx."

**A/N Time: Hi there. Little Defiance speaking. Or, rather, typing. Here is another chapter of Stay With Me Now. I hope all you fellow demigods like it. I apologize if the story seems a bit slow moving, but it's the beginning, and I promise you it will get better. And now, the chapterly (like daily, but with chapters) stuff:**

**~I'm uploading today instead of tomorrow because tomorrow I'm going to Madison for my week long engineering camp! Yay! Today is also the last two performances of my show, Alice in Wonderland Jr. **

**~Again, I apologize if this chapter is short. Longer chapters are in the future.**

**~I plan to upload next on the 26****th****, one week from now. I'll be getting home from Madison that day.**

**~Just a little Caleo history lesson. If you didn't need the history lesson, I'm sorry, but Calypso's PoV for this chapter is a little placeholder to build suspense about Leo and Percy wandering off. Suspense-ish.**

**So there you have it: a new chapter, and the chapterly stuff. I love reviews, and thanks for the nice ones [****]. I hope you all enjoy! I will see you *whips around and points with fingers* next week!**

**-Little Defiance **


	4. Chapter 4: It Was Nothing

Chapter Four (Leo's PoV)

I walk a few feet behind Percy. When we reach a clearing, he turns.

"How is she here?" His voice is cold. He turns, and his eyes are just as frigid as his voice. I've only ever seen his eyes this cold once: after he and Annabeth struggled through the Doors of Death from Tartarus eleven months ago. And even then, his eyes were only cold for a millisecond; they filled with tears before shutting tight.

"She can't leave Ogygia. It is her prison." Percy stares at me.

"Well you would know, wouldn't you," I retort, "you're the one who left her there. And I did return to Ogygia. When you were at Camp Jupiter last month. I went, but no one was there. Calypso wasn't there. Most likely, Chiron rescued her."

"I promised to get her free! That's more than Odysseus or Drake did! And if Chiron got her, why wasn't she revealed until now?"

"Chiron probably had to work hard to find and then leave Ogygia. Technically you can't unless Calypso loves you. But you would know that too, wouldn't you? And you promised, huh? Still working on that promise? Didn't you get a wish granted by the gods after the Second Titan war? I believe you spent it on, hmm, having the gods claim their children right away?"

"You don't understand," he says. "Several of Kronos' warriors were unclaimed demigods. I was preventing another war! If it weren't for my wish, you could be sitting in the Hermes cabin right now, depressed, wondering who your godly parent is because they never claimed you."

"You broke Calypso's heart," I shout, "I know Odysseus and Drake probably did so too, but I've seen how much you hurt her, Percy. _You_ drove her to cursing Annabeth."

He sneers. "I'm sure you're the perfect hero, then. Did she fall for you right away, like she did with me, or did she think you were some curse from the gods?"

"Percy, I know you forgot about her," I say. "You can't deny it."

"But she didn't have to go off at me for it! Face it Leo, you can't protect her from everything. She needs to feel what Annabeth did."

I roll my eyes. "Duh, Percy. Why do you think she cursed Annabeth? Calypso wanted Annabeth to feel what she felt every second of every day after you left."

Percy turns. "Whatever, Leo. Some day you'll see her for what she really is."

"You can't run away from all your problems just because they don't involve a monster!" I shout at his retreating back.

I turn around and stomp back to the dining pavilion. I sit down and look at my pizza, which is now really cold. As if I could eat it anyway.

I look up at the head table to where Calypso is sitting. She laughs at something a nymph next to her says. Calypso turns, and looks at me. Her expression goes from happy and content to worried. I smile weakly and give the slightest of nods. She blinks and tries to smooth her expression. I jerk my head towards the lake and mouth _after dinner_.

She nods.

When the tables are cleared, Calypso pushes back her chair and gracefully rises. She walks towards the lake and I follow.

As we stand by the water, the sun begins to set. The golden light makes her face glow. Calypso looks so beautiful. I kiss her cheek, and she hugs me gently before saying "Leo, you can't make me forget. I'm worried about you."

I look into her almond eyes, and Percy's words float through my head, haunting me. I can't tell her; I just can't. If she cries, it will be my fault, and I'll hurl myself off a cliff before making her cry on purpose.

"Leo," she says again, "I can handle it; just tell me slowly." Her voice is soft.

In that moment, I decide that I can't tell her. I can't hurt her.

"It was nothing, Calypso. Percy and I were just talking about battle strategies for tomorrow's Capture the Flag. It was nothing."

(Calypso's PoV)

I know it's not 'nothing'. If it was nothing, he would be smiling now, like he usually is. And he would _not_ have tried to distract me. I know I won't get any more out of him now, so I tell him ok.

For a second, I believe that there is no way I can find out what happened. Some may say that I'm a person that doesn't respect others' privacy because I find it so important to know what happened. But I know that Leo is hurting over what happened. And I know it involved Percy.

But then I remember. Since I'm a sorceress, I can use magic to see what I want. And as I told Leo when he was on Ogygia: "Seeing the past is simple magic. Seeing the present or the future-that is not."

Leo and I sit on the beach until the lights out call sounds. Leo gives me a hug and a kiss before departing for the Hephaestus cabin. I walk toward the Big House to talk with Chiron.

Chiron puts me into the guest room for now. As he canters away, he says over his shoulder, "Maybe this is the beginning of the Atlas cabin." I remember that he is also a child of Atlas. This makes him my half-brother. I believe so. The Olympian gods/Titan/giant family tree is quite confusing.

As soon as the door shuts, I look around the room. The walls are pale blue, and the bed is small, with a light gray bedspread. A small wooden desk with an office chair sits against the wall across from the door. The nightstand beside the bed matches the desk, and has a lamp on it. When I open the drawer, I find a Celestial bronze knife and a notepad with nothing on it. A dresser that matches the desk and the nightstand stands next to the door. A digital clock sits on top of it, reading 10:07 pm. The bookshelf next to the desk has a few things on it: a Greek mythology book, a pamphlet that teaches you how to make your own weapons, a book on how to carve a marble bust, a monster-fighting technique book, and for some reason, a recipe book for some type of cooking called Tex-Mex.

I must ask Leo what Tex-Mex cooking is.

I sit down on the bed and extend my hands. Concentrating hard, I focus on Leo's absence from the Hephaestus table, and his coming back looking shaken.

Come on, Calypso, I tell myself. Concentrate.

An image glimmers into sight. A boy, Leo, walks through a heavily wooded area. He stares straight ahead.

Leo walks into a clearing. Percy is waiting for him. "How is she here?" His voice echoes throughout the clearing. "She can't leave Ogygia. It is her prison," Percy continues.

"Well you would know, wouldn't you? You're the one who left her there. And I did return to Ogygia. When you were at Camp Jupiter last month. I went, but no one was there. Calypso wasn't there. Most likely, Chiron rescued her a few weeks before." Leo's voice is even.

"I promised to get her free! That's more than Odysseus or Drake did," Percy says. "And if Chiron got her, why wasn't she revealed until now?"

Leo goes on, talking about how Chiron probably worked hard to leave Ogygia, and the trouble he must have had finding it in the first place. It's true; Chiron worked very hard to get me free. He consulted with the gods for hours each day, reasoning with Zeus, trying to make them see why it was no longer important to keep me imprisoned on Ogygia. Not to mention finding and leaving the island in the first place. Leo says, Didn't Percy get a wish granted by the gods after the Second Titan War? That I didn't know. I did not know that Percy could have gotten me free.

My heart contracts. Percy promised to free me. He had a chance; and he chose to spend his wish on something else.

Percy explains why his wish was so important, then proceeds to insult Leo on how I fell for Percy himself instantly (not true-I just had a crush on him first!), and how I probably hated Leo at first. The Leo thing is very true.

Leo defends me, countering Percy's insults and demands that I feel what Annabeth felt because of the curse.

Of course I felt what Annabeth felt. I cursed her in one of my darkest days. A day where every second without Percy felt like a knife grating across my skin. I was lower than I'd ever been; lower than the days after Odysseus and Drake left.

But that's a memory I don't want to rehash.

Percy claims that one day, Leo will see me for what I really am. Though what I am, he doesn't say. He just turns and walks away. Leo tells Percy that he can't just run away from his problems just because they don't involve a monster.

Leo turns and stomps back to the dining pavilion. I wave my hand through the image, and it disappears.

It was nothing, Leo said. It was nothing.

**A/N TIME! Hey there, Little Defiance here. Here is another chapter of Stay With Me Now. I hope all you demigods like it. Time for the chapterly stuff!**

**~Today is the scheduled update day! Yay! I'm on time! **

**~Longer chapters will start now probably. More stuff shall happen. *grins evilly* *clinks tea cup at the Tea Party for Evil Authors***

**~Next update: Tuesday, July 29****th****.**

**~I got back from Madison today! This week was great, and full of new experiences. I mean, who gets to insert a bioluminescent gene into E. coli bacteria cells on a daily basis?**

**So that's it! I love reviews and thank you for every nice one I get. So, if you feel like it, write one for me :). I'll see you next week Tuesday!**

**-Little Defiance**


	5. Chapter 5: Apologies

Chapter Five (Leo's PoV)

I stand at the top of Half-Blood Hill, by the tree that holds the Golden Fleece.

Rumor has it that Jason's hot sister Thalia (well, the rumor doesn't say she's hot. But I know from seeing her in person that she's super hot) was transformed into a tree by her father Zeus as she made her last stand against a horde of angry monsters. Her spirit protected the borders of Camp Half-Blood from monsters until some guy named Luke poisoned it. Percy went on (well, hijacked really) a quest and retrieved the Golden Fleece. The Fleece worked its magic too well, and Thalia was transformed back into a human, though the tree is somehow still there. Now it's protected by a dragon named Pelos. I met Thalia on my first quest with Jason and Piper-save Hera. Thalia is a Hunter of Artemis, so she's sworn off boys forever. I still think I can win her over, if I really try. But Calypso is my world now.

Anyway, I stand up on Half-Blood Hill next to Thalia's tree. A shadow passes above me. I look up and see Festus, the bronze dragon I'd fixed up for my first quest with Jason and Piper. Festus had suffered a bad crash and was now just a head, fixed onto the _Argo II_, a ship I'd fixed up for the Seven's quest to Rome.

But what I see is Festus back when he had a body. He soars above me before circling back around and dropping. His clawed metal feet drift towards me.

And then Festus lands. His feet collide with my face. I am his landing pad.

I shoot straight up in bed. I am in Cabin 9, Camp Half-Blood. This is Beckendorf's old bed. It was a dream.

But something did land on my head: Festus II, my mechanical dragonfly. Festus II chirps. I groan in response and turn onto my stomach. Festus II stomps on my back.

"Would you _stop_ doing the freakin' tango on my back?!" I mutter. Festus II whirs and flies away.

I rub my eyes and sit up. Today is Friday; today we play Capture the Flag. The events of yesterday flood back to me: Calypso arriving, fighting with Percy, and passing it off as nothing.

I heave a sigh, and then press a button on my headboard. My bed rises up through the floor. Beckendorf really tricked out this bed before he, um, passed. When the bed is entirely above the floor, I see that my half-brothers and sisters are tidying up the cabin.

"Morning, Leo," Nyssa says.

"Hi. Why is everyone cleaning? I like the clutter. It's, hmm, homey. Cozy."

"Inspection day," Nyssa says, giving me a Look. I hate Nyssa's Looks.

"Oh," I say. "When's breakfast?"

Nyssa smirks. "Now. Go while you can."

First I help clean the cabin. Hephaestus kids aren't particularly neat. Most kids would've cleaned their cabins last night (allowing them to be at breakfast right now), but of course, we didn't.

Once the cabin looks at least somewhat neat, we file out to the dining pavilion. After a hearty breakfast of pancakes and for some reason, potato latkes, everyone stands by their cabins as the inspectors walk through each cabin doing their horrible _inspecting_. Surprisingly, Cabin 9 doesn't do too badly. The Ares cabin is worse, from what the inspectors were muttering before they entered our cabin.

After inspection, I see Calypso by the lake. She looks depressed and lonely. I begin to wander over, but stop when I see Percy.

He walks towards her slowly. My eyes narrow and I start walking faster.

But then, Calypso smiles and laughs. Percy smiles too, and Calypso pats his shoulder. The she turns and sees me.

Her eyes glow, and she beckons me over.

(Calypso's PoV)

Leo looks slightly unnerved as he walks over. I can't criticize him though. I would be a little wary too if I was in his shoes, especially after yesterday's events.

When Leo arrives, he hugs me and then proceeds to stare at Percy. Finally, after a long, awkward silence Leo says, "Hi."

Percy smiles a tiny smile. "Hey there."

"Uh… what's up?"

Percy smiles and scratches the back of his neck. "Uh… I am standing by the lake… awkwardly."

"That sums it up," Leo says.

I nudge Percy. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Leo raise his eyebrows.

Percy looks at Leo, repositions himself so that he and I aren't in nudging range. I blink. Then, he says somewhat awkwardly, "I was stupid, Leo. I overreacted yesterday. I lost my cool when I saw Calypso. I guess I had trouble believing it was her. And during dinner, that blowup was stupid. I shouldn't have yelled at you. So, I, um, I am suh. Soruh." Percy presses a fist to his throat and coughs. Then he tries again. "Leo, I am sa-suh-sahrry. Suhrry. I am sorry."

Leo snorts and crosses his arms. He's so surly. "The famous Percy Jackson, apologizing? Has the world gone mad?"

I look at Leo, hard. Then I scoot towards him and nudge him.

Leo groans. "'Pology accepted, Perce. I am sorry too." The last sentence is strained. Leo mutters "Sort of," under his breath. I think I'm not supposed to hear it, but it wasn't that difficult.

The boys awkwardly shake hands (Percy goes for a hug and Leo goes for a high five. Then Leo goes for a hug, and Percy goes for a high five. Finally, they both settle for a handshake). Percy wanders off to find Annabeth and Leo and I walk farther down the beach.

He spreads out on the beach, patting the ground next to him. I snuggle up and hum under my breath. Leo's face is peaceful. I cannot tell if it's from my humming, or if he's just content.

"Leo, what is Tex-Mex cooking?"

He laughs. "It's a type of cooking with a mix of food from Texas and Mexico."

"Oh."

We sit quietly for a little bit longer. Then Leo turns slowly. He brushes back a lock of my hair that has escaped from my ponytail. He pulls me close and hugs me hard. "I love you, Calypso," he says. "Okay?"

I smile. "Okay."

He looks back at me. "Maybe okay will be our always."

We sit calmly together and watch the sun continue its slow journey through the sky.

*****WARNING: LOOOONNNNGGG A/N*** Hey there, Little Defiance here. I now present you with another chapter of Stay With Me Now. Hope all you demigods like it! Today is now Tuesday, July 29****th****, and I am right on schedule for another update. And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~Longer chapters have officially started! **

**~Just a cheesy TFIOS reference for you all. I know; I'm a hopeless author for inserting that in there. But foresee other references in the near future. *evil winky face***

**~Next Update: Tuesday, August 5****th ****(Holy crap- August already). I'm going to try uploading every Tuesday (for reasons that will become clear in a little bit). I may change the day though. Hmm.**

**~Lately I've been in love with The Mortal Instruments series, and I am seriously considering a fanfic, or at least some one-shots.**

**~I've also been considering some PJO/HOO one-shots. Put it in a review or pm me what ships you want, and I'll see what I can do. Right now, I'm in the mood for some one-shot writing, but I don't know what I could write them on. **

**~If I **_**were**_** to write a TMI fanfiction, I would most likely make it #Sizzy (one of several OTPs). #Clace and #Malec are more one-shot material to me. I would probably upload the main TMI fanfic on Thursday and one-shots once every couple weeks. Maybe once a month? One-shot Wednesday…**

**~I'm not really sure if I like the title Stay With Me Now. I kind of want to change it, but I'm not sure what I'd change it to. **

**Okay, I think that's about it! Thanks for reading this super long A/N. I love reviews! I hope you all like this chapter. Next chapter next week!**

**~Little Defiance **


	6. Chapter 6: Silence

**Quick A/N: Hi there, Little Defiance here. Just bringing you another chapter of Stay With Me Now. Quick chapterly stuff:**

**~Early update bc I have nothing to do.**

**~434 views now. That makes me smile.**

**~THG reference. Whoop whoop.**

**~Chapter names now.**

**~Next update: Tuesday, August 12****th****. **

**~Really considering posting a TMI one-shot I wrote. :)**

**That's it. Enjoy. *fades into distance with an evil grin***

**-Little Defiance**

Chapter six (Leo's PoV)

The day seems to fly past. I sit with Calypso on the beach until about 11:00, an hour before lunch, before heading off to Bunker 9 to do some light work.

After Bunker 9, I go to lunch (hamburgers-"for Hephaestus"), and then begin some sword-fighting lessons with Percy. He pushes me hard, and I push back, despite me not being very good with a sword.

After I cool down, Percy and I send an Iris message to Hazel and Frank at Camp Jupiter. They're in the middle of a walk along the Little Tiber.

I've only been to Camp Jupiter twice. The first time was when some of us from Camp Half-Blood came in the _Argo II_ to talk with the Romans about the Prophecy of Seven. I got possessed by an eidolon (scary demon thingies that make your eyes go gold) and blew up New Rome. The second time was about a month after the war with Gaea in the Ancient Lands (Greece) ended. Let's just say I didn't get a welcoming party.

Frank and Hazel have visited Camp Half-Blood several times, though. The first time was a few weeks after I'd returned from Camp Jupiter for the second time. They stayed for a while in their respective cabins (well, Hazel did, but Frank high-tailed it out of the Ares cabin when he saw the other inhabitants.) before crashing at the Big House. A month later, they returned with pretty much the same results. They're due for a visit in about another three weeks.

Anyway, Frank and Hazel were holding hands and wandering along the Little Tiber (the river that surrounds Camp Jupiter). I noticed the absence of the twinge of jealousy I used to feel when I saw them holding hands. Now that I have Calypso, and now that she's here, I guess I don't feel what I used to for Hazel: a teeny tiny bit of affection.

Percy talks a bit with them about his and Annabeth's upcoming visit to Camp Jupiter, starting on July 15th.

After a few minutes of trip-planning, I walk away, bored with the conversation.

I while away the hours until dinner (tamales-"for Hephaestus"). Then Chiron pounds his hoof against the head table and announces tonight's Capture the Flag teams. "The Blue Team will have the east side of the woods. The Blue Team is: Athena, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Hecate, Iris, Demeter, Hebe, Hades, and Tyche. The Red Team will have the west side of the woods. The Red Team is: Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hypnos, Nemesis, and Nike." Alright, my team is pretty decent. We only have a few useless cabins (I mean useless in combat, like Iris' kids, Demeter's kids, Hebe's kids, and Tyche's kids).

"We have twelve medics: six from Apollo's cabin, three from Hypnos' cabin, one from Aphrodite's cabin, one from Hebe's cabin, and our new camper, Calypso. I am also available for medical issues. Get your armor, form your ranks, and begin on my call."

Calypso stands up by Chiron and the other healers. She fidgets slightly.

I grab my armor, and my teammates huddle around the Athena kids, who have already started formulating a plan. Once everyone knows what to do, we form ranks.

Chiron stands on a platform near the dining pavilion and says, "Let the games begin! And may the odds be ever in your favor."

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

After a day of riding the camp's pegasi and a few medical quizzes, Chiron decided to let me be one of the medics for this game, Capture the Flag.

From what I understand, each team hides a flag, and the other team must find it and capture it before their flag is captured.

I catch Leo's eye before he runs away towards the east woods. I assume he'll be defending the flag. That is a very Leo thing to do; protecting others and they're possessions.

Chiron helps me onto my pegasus, a pure white individual named Cate. I gently nudge Cate, and she takes off. I circle high above the woods as Chiron instructed.

The minutes pass slowly. I see the other eleven medics occasionally, but no riders swoop down on their pegasi. I hear the infrequent battle cries, see the sporadic search party or bait group.

A group of half-bloods with blue-plumed helmets race across the river towards the Red Team's side of the woods. I hear another battle cry. I urge Cate closer to the fight. She drops lower and lower until we're at the top of the trees. Still, we are a fair distance from the ground, maybe thirty or forty feet. Other medics swarm around the area, and we watch as half-bloods begin to fall. Chiron said we are not allowed to pick up the injured until the fighting has moved on, so I wait.

After about five minutes, the remaining fighters stumble down river and continue their skirmish. Cate and I drop to the ground. I notice a boy. He's scrawny, and has black curly hair sticking out of his blue-plumed helmet.

I gasp sharply. It can't be. I slide off Cate and run to the boy, heaving him over. Then I breathe a sigh of relief. It isn't Leo.

I hear a sickly cough just as I'm about to move the fallen boy who resembles Leo. I turn around and see my repair boy lying on his side, curled in the way I've heard others call the fetal position. I know it's him this time. His blue-plumed helmet lies off to the side. His face is contorted in pain. I dash over and cry "Leo, what happened?" He turns his head towards me. "Sword," he mumbles. "Stomach." Then he gasps.

"I know this will hurt," I say, "but I'm going to roll you on your back so I can see the wound."

He jerks his head in a barely noticeable nod. His eyes are empty-looking. Leo is losing consciousness.

"One, two, three." On three, I shift my hands under him and roll him as gently as possible onto his back. Leo doesn't make a sound. His eyes are closed now. I check Leo's pulse in his neck. It is there, but it is weak.

Tears start to run down my face as I push Leo's armor out of the way. "Don't quit on me now," I say through the tears. "You promised, repair boy, you promised! Stay with me now! Do you hear me? STAY WITH ME!" I'm shouting hoarsely now. Leo doesn't move. Finally, his armor is out of the way. I pull his shirt up to his ribs so I can get a decent look at the wound.

And I do get a decent look. I've never seen something this bad.

When Percy crashed onto Ogygia, I thought he'd died (but he was only unconscious). When Leo crashed onto Ogygia, he was on fire, but at least he was conscious. Leo is immune to fire, but not swords. I thought the wounds on Percy were the worst things I had ever seen and ever would see. I know I'm wrong now.

The cut is deep, and oozes blood. Pus leaks out the sides. The skin around it is tight, shiny, inflamed, and starting to swell. The blood oozing from is it a darker color than normal, almost purple.

One of my hands is still on Leo's neck, keeping track of his pulse. That's how I know when suddenly, the weak beat is gone; and Leo's heart is silent.

/\/\/\/\


	7. Chapter 7: Waking Up

Chapter Seven (Leo's PoV)

Sunlight filters through the dusty windows as I open my eyes. I try to sit up, but a fierce, shooting pain flashes up and down my torso. Looking down, I see I have no shirt on, and my stomach area is bandaged. A girl sits in a chair beside my bed, sleeping.

I remember rushing the Red Team at the river, and a sword slicing through the air. I saw the swordsman, but I didn't really recognize him. Only his green eyes. But no events after that come to my mind. I guess I'm in the sick bay now.

The girl beside me stirs, and I realize it is Calypso. She stretches and rubs her eyes, which she then opens.

She notices me.

"Leo! Oh my gods, Leo!" Calypso hugs me hard. "Ow," I mutter. "Sorry," she says breathlessly. "Last night… you… sword… stomach… blood… heart stopped. Out for… five… days." Calypso kisses my cheek and wipes tears from her eyes. I shift my head and give her a proper kiss on the lips before saying, "Woah woah woah. Slow down. Tell me _slowly_."

Calypso looks me in the eye and tells me the story of how she saw the fighting, and then found me. She tells me about the gash on my stomach and how she lost my pulse because my heart stopped.

"Chiron had to give you this strange thing called CPR. He gave you so much ambrosia that we were worried you might burn up. I thought you were-"-she sniffles- "dead."

She hugs me hard. "I love you so much."

I hug her gently. "I love you too."

Her eyes water. "Okay?"

I smile weakly. "Okay."

She laughs sweetly. I love her laugh. I brush her hair back with my hand. She catches it and holds it against her face. "Your heart stopped," she murmurs against my skin. "I know," I say. "I saw the swordsman."

Calypso looks up. "You did? Did you recognize them?"

I hesitate. Should I lie, and say no, or tell her the truth? I already hid my argument with Percy from her, but when he mentioned it in his apology, Calypso didn't look too surprised. I decide to ask her about it later. But I still don't know if I should tell her. I guess I will.

"Yeah, he looked familiar. I didn't see his hair, but I saw some other things… like his eyes."

Calypso looks at me with her huge almond eyes. "And?"

"They…were…green."

At first, Calypso looks at me confusedly. Then realization dawns on her beautiful face. "Percy," she says. "Percy almost killed you."

She slowly rises. "Come on, Calypso," I say, "don't go off at him. He probably didn't even know it was me."

"He tried to kill the only thing I love!" Calypso puts her hand to her temple.

"It's fine. He didn't even know."

Calypso exhales loudly, and then gets up and walks smoothly to the door. she seems cool and collected now. "Relax," she says, "get better, okay? I'm just going to talk to Percy for a bit. Find out what happened. Nothing serious. I love you."

The door swings shut behind her. "I love you too," I mutter.

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

I look all over Camp Half-Blood for Percy. I only want to talk to him. When I finally see him, he is chatting with a blond boy and a girl with small braids in her brown hair. Percy sees me and shouts, "Calypso! Come meet Jason and Piper."

When I reach the small group, Percy introduces the two. "This is Jason Grace, former praetor of New Rome, son of Jupiter." I must look confused, because Percy tells me that New Rome is in the other camp for half-bloods, Camp Jupiter. He also says that being a praetor is like being a senior counselor here at Camp Half-Blood.

Then Percy clears his throat and goes on. "And this is Piper McLean. She's a daughter of Aphrodite. She can charmspeak you and make you do things, and she has a magic cornucopia that shoots out food." Piper smiles at me, but I detect a hint of cautiousness.

Piper's smile fractures a bit, and she whispers to Percy, "Is she the one-"

Jason's mouth falls open, and he pulls Piper back as Percy gives the smallest of nods. I hear Jason whispering to Piper in a disapproving manner as they walk away.

"Percy Jackson," I grumble when Jason and Piper are out of earshot. "Did you attack Leo during Capture the Flag?"

Percy looks surprised. "Of course not. I heard various plans for a riverside attack on the Blue Team, but I took a scouting party over the river before I knew if it would happen. We did cross the river, but we found the Blue Team's flag and fought the guards, stole it, and returned to our base. I heard that the attack did happen, and a lot of people got hurt. But by the time I had followed the crowd to the river, everyone was gone."

"Oh," I say, hugging myself. "I guess you didn't slash Leo. I'm sorry I accused you, then."

"It's fine."

An awkward silence ensues. Finally I break it by saying, "Jason Grace and Piper McLean seem nice."

Percy looks at me nervously. "I'm sorry about that," he says quietly. "In Tartarus, with Annabeth, there was an encounter with the _arai_. I killed several, but Annabeth only killed two. One made her blind. The other…"

"No," I whisper. "Not my curse." I had cursed Annabeth in the worst days of my three-millennium life. Every second felt like the aching beat of a broken, dying heart. Or, to be more accurate, my broken, dying heart.

Percy nods wearily. "She cried out for me. Thought I'd abandoned her. It broke my heart. The group knows about that. They were there when Annabeth and I came back from Tartarus."

I am thoroughly shocked. "I cannot believe you were able to escape Tartarus alive. And that out of hundreds of _arai_, Annabeth killed mine."

Percy nods. "That's what made it so hard for me to see you before. I wanted to see the girl who nursed me back to health on Ogygia. Not the girl who cursed Annabeth. I'm sorry for what I said to you. And what I said _about_ you to Leo." He grins. "Can I ask how you knew about our argument?"

I smile back. "I am sorry too, Percy Jackson. I hope you didn't take my words about never wanting to see you again too seriously. And I am really sorry that I cursed Annabeth. I can't even begin to explain what it felt like. But all that aside, can we be friends?"

Percy nods again and says, "Friends."

I smile and say, "Oh, and you would like to know how I found out about your argument?"

Percy looks at me expectantly.

I raise my right hand, and sparks start shooting from my palm. "Magic," I say.

/\/\/\/\

**A/N TIME! WOOHOO! Hey there, Little Defiance here. I bring you another chapter of Stay With Me Now, except it's not Stay With Me Now anymore. I changed the title to Gone. It will make more sense later. And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~Sorry for that horrible cliffhanger. Just practicing my evil author tendencies. *evil grin* **

**~More TFIOS references. Yay. **

**~Next update: Tuesday, 8.19.**

**~I posted my TMI one-shot. It's called ****Yes****. Malec moments, Clace moments, Sizzy moments. I love reviews. **

**~595 views. :)**

**~I actually just finished City oh Heavenly Fire. Mrah. **

**~The one month anniversary of this story was on Sunday! Goodness. I realize I could've done something special, but maybe for a bigger thing like six months. **

**~I'm starting story covers. there is some really awesome art on Tumblr by viria, but I don't own/have permission to use those pictures, so I just made my own.**

**I think that's it! Thanks for reading my fanfic, fellow demigods. Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Next update next week!**

**~Little Defiance**


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting Hazel

Chapter Eight (Leo's PoV)

Jason, Piper, Percy, and Annabeth visit me later that day. Jason brings me a piece of the lasagna that was served for lunch. Even Nico shows up. He mostly hangs around the wall, chilling by Jason and avoiding looking at Percy.

The group tells me that the Red Team won capture the Flag in a brutal massacre. Percy reaches over to Jason for a high five, but is scolded with a glare from Piper, Annabeth, and Jason himself.

Everyone fidgets uncomfortably after Capture the Flag discussion breaks up. Percy grins like a madman, and even Nico cracks a ghostly smile.

Yeesh. That kid is freaky sometimes. Finally, the door to the infirmary creaks open. Frank and Hazel appear.

Now everyone is smiling. "Guys," I say, "did you bring them here?"

Annabeth smiles and steps forward. "Guilty," she says.

I look at her, shocked. "You did this? For me?"

Annabeth smiles. "I thought it might cheer you up."

Hazel hugs me gently. "You're hurt. Why?" She smells like cinnamon. Frank pats me awkwardly on the back. "Hey," he says gruffly. "I hope your… wound heals?"

Everyone pulls up a chair to my bed. Nico sits as far from Percy as possible, electing to sit next to Hazel.

Hazel and Frank look at me expectantly, waiting for my story probably. I shift uncomfortably on my bed. Just as I open my mouth, Piper speaks up. She explains the whole thing. When she's finished, Hazel and Frank are staring at her, shocked. I catch Piper's eyes and shoot her a grateful look. She nods very slightly.

After Frank talks about Camp Jupiter (he's the new praetor of New Rome, by the way), Hazel tells Percy about the Fifth Cohort's winnings in all the War Games.

"Percy, you brought back the honor of the Fifth Cohort, and they are strong," Hazel says. Noticing that Jason tenses slightly, I remember Hazel briefly talking about how she'd heard that when Jason came, he restored the pride of the Fifth Cohort (Camp Jupiter has cohorts 1-5 like we have cabins, only you're not sorted by parentage). Now Jason's the ex-praetor, as he gave up his praetor-ship to become fully Greek.

Then, Percy brings the conversation to his and Annabeth's trip to Camp Jupiter that starts July 15th. Today is June 10th, so they leave thirty-five days from now.

After a few minute of boring chit-chat, Percy breaks off from his travel talk and says, "Hey, Neeks, you were planning to take off for a bit weren't you? You said you were leaving on the 4th?"

Nico blushes (turning a less ghostly shade of white), and says, "Did I say the 4th? I meant the 14th. 15th, actually. I still have to work out some kinks in my plans."

No one really reacts to this except for Jason, and his mouth drops open. His arm falls from Piper's shoulder, and he says, "Nico?" in a strangled voice. When Nico looks over, Jason raises his eyebrows, and Nico raises his back, the two of them seem to have a conversation in eyebrow-raises and severe looks.

After this, all conversation dissipates for good. Percy and Annabeth, casually holding hands, leave after giving get-well nods and smiles. Jason and Nico walk out together, seeming to continue their argument. Hazel gives me a hug before taking off with Piper. Frank nods awkwardly before muttering something about going to the archery shooting range. Finally, it's just me in the infirmary.

I lie back on my bed. My whole body hurts, probably from various scrapes and bruises I can't see. But, of course, my stomach hurts the most. I wonder briefly if Calypso will stop in later, possibly with food.

Wondering does nothing against the boredom, though, so I settle in for a long, comfortable nap.

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

I walk around the camp for a while, trying to get some air. I don't want to visit Leo because it will hurt to see him like that.

I wander for a while before coming across a girl with tanned skin and gold hair staring at the strawberry fields. She turns and introduces herself as Hazel Levesque. I tell her that I'm Calypso. She smiles, and then gasps. "Calypso? _The _Calypso?"

I nod. Hazel looks at me with wide eyes. "Calypso! You are who Leo talks about!" I blush. Hazel goes on: "He really does love you. He didn't let anyone bother him for months as he worked on his, oh now what was it called, astrolabe? He wanted to find you and bring you back more than anything. And now you're here. I don't know if you can see it, but it makes Leo happier than anything to know you're here."

I blush deeper. "Hazel Levesque, you seem to be the first person to see me and not bring up Annabeth."

Hazel looks at me. "Oh," she says, "about that. I think that you probably had your reasons. I respect that. You seem really nice right now, and I'm willing to get to know you before I make any judgment."

"You are really very kind, Hazel Levesque," I say. Hazel waves her hand and says, "Please, call me Hazel."

"Hazel," I say, trying it out. "Who is your godly parent?"

Hazel looks uncomfortable. "Pluto, which is the Roman form of Hades. But I don't like to talk about him."

"I see. It's so strange here. I have been on Ogygia for three thousand years, and now I am here. Everything is foreign to me."

Hazel nods. "I actually am not from this time either. I died in the 1940's, and my brother Nico brought me back from the Underworld."

I smile. "We are in the same boat, then."

Hazel smiles, and then says, "Come on, Calypso. It's almost time for lunch." She links her arm through mine and leads me to the dining pavilion.

(Time lapse of about 20 minutes)

Lunch today is something called 'sweet and sour pork.' Hazel tells me it is a dish from a land called China. Leo is absent from his table, most likely because he's still in the infirmary.

When everyone is finished eating, Chiron pounds his hoof against the head table, which is where I am sitting. "Everyone," he says, "we have three new campers, brought to us from St. Paul, Minnesota. May I present to you-Dakota, Dawson, and Dayton."

Three girls step out from behind Chiron. They all have brown hair, though at different lengths. Two of them have brown eyes, and one has blue. All of them are tan.

Chiron nudges the first girl forward. She steps cautiously and begins to speak. She has chin length hair. Her eyes are wide and dark brown, almost black.

"Um, hi, my name is Dakota. I'm fifteen, and these are my sisters. We're triplets. I'm the oldest. We lived in St. Paul, Minnesota until this guy-"she points off to the side at a satyr "-came and took us here." Her voice is loud. As Dakota steps back towards her sisters, a sparkling pale blue lyre hologram appears over her head. It glows and shimmers before fading. No one seems to react.

The next girl steps forward. She has thick hair much like Dakota's, only hers is shoulder length. Her chocolate brown eyes shaped exactly like Dakota's. "Hi, I'm Dawson. And, yeah, pretty much what Dakota said, except I'm the middle child." Her voice is really quiet. Dawson jerks her hand towards her older sister. As Dawson steps back, a lyre appears over her head too. Again, no one reacts.

The last sister steps forward. She is slightly shorter than the others, and her hair is about halfway down her back. Her eyes are a clear blue. "I'm Dayton, if you don't already know. I'm also the youngest," she says. Her voice is louder than Dawson's but just quieter than Dakota's. As Dayton steps back, a shimmering lyre appears over her head just like her sisters'.

Chiron lowers his head. "All hail Dakota, Dawson, and Dayton, daughters of Apollo."

/\/\/\/\

**A/N time! What a time to be alive! Hey there, Little Defiance here, bringing a new chapter of Gone. It feels like it's been so long, but it's only been a week. Hope you all like it! And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~The Seven and Nico reunion! **

**~Unfortunately, I am not Rick Riordan, so I don't own these characters, except for a few OCs like Dakota, Dawson, and Dayton.**

**~Next update: Tuesday, August 26.**

**~I've been writing another PJO/HOO and a TMI fanfic as well as this one, but the other two aren't ready to be uploaded yet. It will probably be a while before I upload them, if I even **_**do**_** upload. **

**I think that's it! Wow, short A/N. I love reviews! Hope all you demigods like this chapter. Next chapter next week!**

**~Little Defiance**

**P.S. I found this really cool story called ****100 ****by Geek Without Glasses. It's PJO/HOO, and each chapter is about one hundred words long. It's a really cool thing, and the writing is super cool. Follow and/or favorite if you like it! I know I do.**


	9. Chapter 9: Dayton

Chapter Nine (Leo's PoV)

After another three days, I am finally out of the infirmary. It feels nice to get back into Cabin 9.

As I walk around the camp, in fresh clothes from the Hephaestus cabin, I see three girls sitting beside each other on the lake. One holds a knife, another is poring over a bow, and the third looks out at a lake, a sword on the sand beside her. All three of them have brown hair, though the lengths are different. A girl camper from the Apollo cabin comes up to them and taps the first girl on the shoulder. The first two brown-haired girls stand up and go with the Apollo camper. The third girl waves them off and continues looking out at the lake.

I walk over to the girl and sit down a little ways away from her. She turns to me and says, "Hi."

I reply, "Hey."

The girl says, "I'm a new camper here. Apparently, Apollo is the asshole who left my mom and my sisters and me fifteen years ago. "

"Ah," I say, "my dad is Hephaestus. And I wouldn't go around calling the gods assholes. It hurts their egos."

The girl hugs herself and sighs. "It's so surreal here. I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up, and I'll be in my bed in Minnesota, and Dakota and Dawson will be yelling at me for not setting the alarm."

She must see the confused look on my face. "Dakota and Dawson are my sisters. We're triplets. Dakota is the oldest. She has the chin length hair and really dark brown eyes. Dawson is the middle child. She has the shoulder length hair and the chocolate colored eyes. And then there's me, Dayton. I'm the youngest, and the shortest. And, if you can't see, I have long hair and blue eyes."

"Well, I'm Leo. And if _you_ can't see, I have black hair and brown eyes. I've been here for about a year. It is hard to get used to, at first. But you eventually do become adjusted."

We sit in silence for a bit. A slight breeze blows Dayton's long hair gently around her face. I clear my throat. "So, from what I can understand, you're the odd one out. And Dakota and Dawson- it's Dakota and Dawson right? - yell at you a lot?"

Dayton looks at me with her wide blue eyes. "Yeah. I'm always in trouble for something. Dayton, you didn't set the alarm! Dayton, you forgot to walk the dog! Dayton this, Dayton that. Dayton, you forgot to report for your morning slave duties!"

"I know how you feel. You see, last year, I was part of this prophecy fresh from the camp oracle. There were seven of us: Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Jason, Piper, and me. And there was this kid Nico, but he wasn't part of the prophecy. And everyone was a couple; Percy and Annabeth, Hazel and Frank, and Jason and Piper. I was the odd one out. The seventh wheel. And of course, I made mistakes left and right. Blowing up a city. Leading my friends into a trap. That sort of thing. And then, I found…" I catch myself. It's too soon to talk about Calypso. "Never mind."

Dayton sighs. "Finally, someone who gets it." She smiles for bit, but then her smile fades a bit. "All my life I've been the third wheel. I've never been all too special, either. There's Dakota: she is the loudest and sportiest, playing rugby, volleyball, basketball, and ice hockey. She's the popular one, too. And Dawson: she's the smartest one. All the teachers at our school love her. She's in a bunch of clubs. Oh, and she's the quietest one. Then there's me. I have some friends, but not as many as Dakota, and I'm not as close to them as Dawson is to hers. I only play one sport, and that's soccer. I _am_ on the A team, but my skills are average. Dakota could make the A team for soccer if she wanted to, but she's tied up in her other stuff. I'm sort of smart, but not as smart as Dawson. I-"Dayton hesitates. "I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I'm telling you all about my life, and you probably don't even want to know."

I look her in the eyes. "Dayton, I've never met anyone who was just as much of an outsider as me. So don't feel bad."

Dayton says, "I don't want to feel bad. But I don't know anything about you. I'd feel better if I knew about you."

I sigh. "Fine, but you'll be sorry you asked. When I was eight, my mom died in a fire in the machine shop she owned. None of my relatives would take me in. I bounced around in foster homes for years, running away from each one after a while, never fitting in. then I got put in a school for 'troubled kids', and that's where I met Jason and Piper. We went on a quest, and they became a couple. I was the third wheel. Left out again. Then the Prophecy of Seven quest began. And there were three couples. And there was me. This time, I was the seventh wheel. And then… yeah." I decide not to tell her about Calypso yet.

Dayton sits back. "Okay then," she says slowly. "Well now I know that someone has dealt with the same stuff with me. Is still dealing with it."

I nod. "It's nice."

Dayton seems to debate something for a second, and then says, "What if I can't find a weapon? Sabrina said every camper needs a weapon, and then she pulled out her sword. Said it was made out of something called Celestial bronze. Sabrina took us to the weapons shed and told us to pick a weapon. Dawson picked up a bow right away, and Dakota grabbed a knife. I saw a sword I liked, but it doesn't feel right."

I guess Sabrina is the Apollo camper I saw earlier. "I don't actually have a weapon myself," I say. "I have a fancy tool belt that conjures up everything I need, from a breath mint to a hammer. And I very strongly believe that a breath mint is a high-tech weapon."

Dayton smiles. "I've never liked archery or singing or ugh, definitely not poetry-"-I'm amazed at how fast this girl changes topic- "-which is what Sabrina said Apollo is the god of. It doesn't feel right that he's my dad. I feel like I should be the daughter of the building god, since I like making stuff. Or the god of ADHD and dyslexic kids who change topic every three seconds."

I smile, "Well, Hephaestus is the building god, but I haven't heard of a god of ADHD and dyslexic kids. I mean, kids like that exist, but I'm not sure they're father is specifically the god of ADHD and dyslexia."

Dayton laughs and flips her hair back, and it brushes my face. It smells like green apple. I realize that she's scooted closer to me all through our conversation, and that's why her hair is in face-brushing range.

"Well, maybe I'm the first," Dayton says, and gives me a flirtatious wink.

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

After lunch, I ran into the Piper by the strawberry fields, and we've been chatting about camp for a while. It is now time for dinner. Piper has to go back to her cabin and gather her campers, as she's the senior counselor for the Aphrodite cabin, so I head to the dining pavilion alone.

Dinner tonight is something called a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's delicious.

Leo is at his table, so I guess he is out of the infirmary. He catches my eye and smiles at me, winking once.

As I continue to eat my sandwich, I notice that Leo's eyes keep flicking over to a table that I think is the Apollo table. That's where the three new girls, Dakota, Dawson, and Dayton, sit. Leo looks at the shorter girl with long hair and blue eyes, who I believe is called Dayton. Dayton looks back at him quite a bit. She shifts her hair a lot, and bats her eyelashes.

I catch Hazel's eye. She sits at the Hades table with her brother Nico. She looks over at just as Leo and Dayton make eye contact again. Dayton looks down at her plate bashfully and flips her hair. Then she looks back up and smiles. Leo smiles and looks down too. Hazel's eyebrows shoot upward and her jaw drops.

Leo makes eye contact with me again, and I look at him, hard. He looks down, and I don't look at him again for the rest of the meal.

Instead, I look at the other sisters, Dakota and Dawson. Dakota sneaks long glances at Percy, who sits at the Poseidon table with some of his half-brothers and half-sisters. Dakota also shakes her hair in front of her face so she is shielded from other people's prying eyes. My prying eyes.

Dawson glances repeatedly at Jason, who sits alone at the Zeus table. She pushes her shoulder-length hair behind her ears, and the blush in her cheeks is obvious.

These triplets seem to like all three of these boys. Well, there is about to be some issues. Hazel and I trade glances every so often, and she too seems to be evaluating the actions of Dakota, Dawson, and Dayton.

After dinner, I go straight to my room in the Big House. Hazel stops by, and we chat for hours about our lives: how difficult it is to adjust to a new time period, how the food is good but unfamiliar, and about how foolish our boyfriends can be. Then the conversation turns to the new Apollo triplets.

"I don't know about them," Hazel says. "Like I said earlier, I'm willing to get to know people before I pass any judgment. And I can say that this is a good policy to have because you don't seem the type to throw around curses like Percy made you sound."

I sigh. "Percy Jackson has made me sound like a lot of things. And not all of them are true. That's why I thank you, Hazel, for getting to know me before passing judgment.

"But those girls," I say. "Those girls are being extremely enticing with Leo, Percy, and that Jason boy."

Hazel nods. "At least they haven't noticed Frank yet," she says in a relieved sort of voice. "Frank is my boyfriend. We've been together for almost a year. He's the sweetest."

I am grateful for this explanation because I didn't know who this Frank is. We sit in silence for a few minutes, and then Hazel stands up and stretches. "I'd better be getting back to the Hades cabin. Nico will want to get to bed. He hates waiting up for me. Good night, Calypso. I'll see you tomorrow." She hugs me and then leaves through the door.

But I have one more visitor. Leo steps through the door awkwardly. "Hello, Calypso."

"Leo Valdez."

Leo blinks nervously. He must realize that I only use his last name when I'm angry with him.

"How are you?" his voice is guilty, and he looks sheepish.

"I'm fine. How is Dayton?"

Leo winces. "About that. I met her on the beach today. She's the odd one out in her family. I'm the odd one out in the Seven. She gets me. I get her. She's just a friend. Maybe her hair did brush my face, but that's because she scooted closer to me through our five-minutes-max conversation. Trust me Calypso. I love you, and only you. Dayton is _just a friend_."

I sigh. "That's what I hope it is, Leo. And if you can't see, she's flirting with you. Hazel agrees."

I notice Leo winces again when I say 'and if you can't see'. Then he says, "Hazel? _Hazel_ agrees? I didn't know you and Hazel were close."

His tone isn't mean, it's just surprised. "Yeah, I met her today," I say tiredly.

Leo sighs. "Calypso, I mean what I said. Dayton is just a friend. Yeah we have some stuff in common, but she's just a friend. Besides. I prefer almond eyes."

He steps forward and encircles my waist and pulls me into a hug. I kiss his cheek. "I love you," I say.

"Okay?" Leo looks down at me.

I sigh. "Okay."

/\/\/\/\

**A/N Time! Hey there; Little Defiance here. Here's another chapter of Gone. Hope you guys like it! And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~Next update: um, either Monday 9.1 or Wednesday 9.3. I start school on the 2****nd****, and after school I probably will feel like just feel like complaining afterwards and mourning the end of summer. I might update on Tuesday. I dunno. Any day from the 1****st****-3****rd****.**

**~ More TFIOS references. **

**~Oh my goodness this chapter is long!**

**~I can now tell you about the other two fanfictions I've been writing! They've gotten enough of a plot. If you want to read about them, I'll talk about them at the end of the A/N. **

**~I love reviews! Thanks to all who write them.**

**I think that's it. I hope all you guys like this chapter!**

**Be strong my little demigods.**

**~Little Defiance**

**~And now I talk about my fanfictions. Maybe I'll post a sample chapter of each. Anyway, there are two: About A Boy (TMI) and Five Futures (PJO/HOO).**

**~About A Boy: Isabelle Lightwood thinks she has it all figured out. She goes to an elite private school, and has the perfect boyfriend. Her grades are flawless, and she's the best runner on her school's cross country team and track team. But then, she transfers to the school where her brothers, Alec and Jace, go. And with that school, comes a problem. And it's about a boy. Sizzy, Clace, Malec.**** That's what I'd write for the description. Rated T for language and other stuff (no spoiling). **

**~Five Futures: it will either be five chapters, or just keep going. It tells the futures of the Seven + Nico. It's supposed to be set in real life, so instead of meeting Calypso on Ogygia, he'd meet her in like, England or something. Percabeth, Jiper, Frazel, Thalico (sadly Leo doesn't get Calypso-I know, I'm strange for writing a story about one of my OTPs and then breaking them up in a different story). Probably rated T. This one isn't as far off as About a Boy.**

**Okay. Those are the fanfics. I'll possibly upload samples. **


	10. Chapter 10: Too Close

Chapter Ten (Leo's PoV)

The next day, I get up at six o'clock and head straight to the forge. I work hard, and try to take my mind off Calypso and Dayton. Just my work. Other Hephaestus campers wander in and out, but I pay no attention to them.

After a lunch of pork chops ("Hephaestus"), I go back to the forge. My half-siblings don't come, however. Probably at combat lessons, scaling the lava-spewing climbing wall, or hanging out with other campers.

As I work on a new sword, Festus II flutters around me and brings me nuts and bolts, which I don't need, but the thought is nice. Suddenly, the door opens. The Apollo camper, Sabrina, walks in, followed by the queen of green apples, long hair, and being too flirtatious herself, Dayton.

Dayton brushes her hair back. "Hey, Leo." She giggles. "Sabrina was just bringing me here because I asked if there was a place I could make my own weapons."

With that, Sabrina leaves, and Dayton wanders over to a work table that's two tables away from mine. She pulls out some tools from the bins and starts to tinker. I roll my eyes and turn back to my sword.

A minute passes. Then I hear, "Uh, how do you actually make a sword?"

I laugh. "Sabrina didn't tell you?" I hear Dayton sigh, and she says "No."

I can see Dayton out of the corner of my eye. Her full lips are suppressing a frown, and her eyebrows are furrowed, giving her forehead a cute wrinkle.

Stop it, I tell myself. You love Calypso, and Dayton's just a friend. All those thoughts happen in a second, and Dayton is still looking at me.

"You hammer some of the Celestial bronze into a somewhat sword-shaped slab, and then dunk it in the lava for ten seconds. Pull it out and hammer it some more. If it still isn't sword-y enough for you, put it in the lava again and keep working on it. When you're finished, put it in the cold water for ten seconds and then you're done."

Dayton comes over to my table. "That's a lot of steps." Her ponytail brushes my shoulder. Her hair smells like green apples, just like yesterday. "Don't be surprised if I stop by your table 'cause I can't remember."

"'Kay."

She goes back to her table and starts her sword.

A few minutes pass in silence before Dayton speaks again. "Who's that girl who sits at the head table? The one with almond eyes and long caramel hair?"

"Oh, that's Calypso. She's my…" Dayton looks at me expectantly. Time to be honest. "Girlfriend," I finish.

"Oh." Dayton looks down at her sword. For a second she's quiet, but then she says, "I think I need to dunk it in lava again." She's looking down at her sword.

"One more time should do it," I say. I nudge her hand with mine gently, and she looks at me with wide eyes. She closes her eyes and leans in ever so slightly.

_This isn't what I meant,_ I think to myself. _I was just nudging her hand over to the lava sink!_ But Dayton's leaning in, and I don't want to hurt her feelings. I start to back up slowly, but Dayton keeps leaning forward.

Our lips are about an inch apart when the forge door bangs open. It's Percy and Dakota. I jump away from Dayton as if she blew fire at me. Then again, I am immune to fire, so if she blew fire at me, it wouldn't hurt. Ah, here we go. As if she tried to _stab_ me.

The commotion causes Dayton's eyes to snap open. She flushes when she sees the space between us. "God, what do you want, Dakota?"

Dakota sends a look at Percy, who grins crazily. "We're supposed to find you. It's almost time for dinner, and you both have to get back to your cabins.

Dayton nods and turns to me. "Sorry," she mumbles, "I got carried away. I'll see you later." As Dayton turns towards Dakota and Percy, her ponytail brushes my shoulder again. The scent of green apple lingers in my nose as she flounces away.

I stare after her, but movement by Dakota and Percy brings my attention to them.

Dakota grabs Percy hands and intertwines their fingers. Percy just grins back at her. He doesn't let go.

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

After dinner, Leo and I meet by the beach. He's fidgety and seems to be very nervous.

After brushing my hair back with a shaking hand, Leo says, "I keep meaning to ask you: how did you know that Percy and I had a fight?"

"Oh, that was simple. As I told you once before, seeing the past is simple magic, seeing the future is not. I just used magic to see into the past and to see your argument."

Leo's eyes widen. "Oh no," he says, his voice an octave higher than normal. "There's, uh, something I should tell you then-"

At just that moment, that girl Dayton walks by. She smiles, "Hey, Leo."

Leo looks at her. His eyes are wide and when he speaks, his voice cracks. "Dayton! What are you doing h- I mean, hey, what's up?"

Dayton laughs. "I live here now. And Dakota, Dawson, and I are taking a walk along the beach." The Dawson girl walks up to us. As she passes, here knee-length skirt swishes and I catch the scent of lavender. "Hi guys," she says quietly. Leo nods his head and mutters a hello while I say, "Hi Dawson."

Dakota jogs up to us then. As she skids to a stop, I catch a whiff of cinnamon. "Well, this must be a party." She crosses her arms and grins. "Dayton," Dakota says, "isn't he the one-"

Dayton elbows her sister hard in the ribs. Leo looks downright terrified now. "Excuse me for asking, but the one what?" I say.

Dakota looks at Dayton, then down at me. "You didn't tell anyone except us, Day?"

Dayton shakes her head frantically and says, "Nope. And you won't tell anyone either."

Dakota snorts at this and opens her mouth. Without warning, Dayton tackles Dakota and pins her to the ground. "What the fu-" Dakota never finishes her sentence because Dayton has her hand tightly over Dakota's mouth.

I look at Leo. He's frozen in place.

Dawson clears her throat. "Both of you stop it," she says to Dakota and Dayton, who are still tussling on the ground. "And," Dawson continues, looking at me now, "by the one, she means the one who almost kissed Dayton in the forge this morning."

Leo unfreezes.

"Dawson," Dayton says angrily, "why would you say that?!"

"She wanted to know, so I told her."

I look at Leo. "Is this true?"

"No! _Dayton_ almost kissed _me_! I was going to back away! I didn't even-"

"_Going_ to?! _GOING _to?! You were _GOING_ to back away from her? Meaning you didn't?!"

"Calypso, please listen to me! I told you, _Dayton almost kissed me_! _I_ didn't almost kiss _her_!"

"I don't know what to believe anymore!" I stand up and start stalk away, hoping to make it to the Big House before I start to cry.

I hear Dakota as she says, "See? She was going to find out anyway." Turning back, I see Dayton is off Dakota, who's standing off to the side with a smug look on her face. Dayton looks at Dawson for a second and says, "How could you?" Then she starts toward Leo, who's standing up and staring after me.

I yell, "Dayton, you can have him. I don't want a liar and a secret-keeper who will only keep breaking my heart."

Dayton reaches for Leo's shoulder, but he starts to run towards me. "I was going to tell you, Calypso, but then _she_ showed up. I swear I was going to tell you! Calypso, please!" Leo's reached me by now, and he cups my face in his hands. I try to pull away, but as he speaks, Leo's voice is so completely broken, so I stay to hear him out.

"Calypso, just listen to me please. I love you more than anything else in the world. If there was only one island in the ocean and we were the last two people alive, I'd know I'd be fine because you're there. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about the Dayton thing earlier, but I was going to. You were right, you were always right, she's nothing but trouble. I should have listened to you, but please stay. I need you in my life. You are my world. I love you so much."

His thumb wipes away a tear on my face. I sigh. "Leo, I love you too. More than you could ever know. I just need some time to think, so please, just leave me alone."

Leo's arms fall away as he watches me leave. I brush away any remaining tears as I run to the Big House. I dash past Chiron, some satyrs, and the camp director, Mr. D, as they play pinochle in the lobby. Once I'm in my room with the door shut, I let myself cry truly and fully. Sobs wrack my body, but I hug my ribs in an effort to hold myself together.

I hear knocks at my door as well as Hazel's voice. But I just shout, "Go away. Calypso's not here." And this is true. Calypso is not here. In her place is a ghost of a girl. A ghost who's had her heart broken too many times. A ghost who wears her brave face, but now can't put it on. A ghost who has been broken beyond repair.

No, Calypso's not here. I don't know when she'll be back. Sorry.

/\/\/\/\

**Hey guys! A/N time! It's Little Defiance with another chapter of Gone. **_**And the plot thickens**_**. And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~Next update: Wednesday, September 10****th****. Woah, September. **

**~I'm putting a sample of my TMI fanfic, About a Boy, up this Thursday (the 4****th****). It'll be the first chapter.**

**~It's getting more serious- the triplets move in on Leo and Percy. Foresee Jason. **

**~This story is actually prewritten, up to about Chapter 17. I haven't written for a few days, though. Momentary writer's block, I guess.**

**~Possible sequel to my one-shot, Yes. Check it out!**

**~Keep writing those reviews!**

**I think that's it! I hope all you guys like this chapter! 1,068 views and counting!**

**Be strong my little demigods.**

**-Little Defiance-**


	11. Chapter 11: The BBC

Chapter Eleven (Leo's PoV)

I go to bed miserable. When I wake up the next day, the events come rushing back to me. I sit in my bed under the rest of the cabin floor for almost an hour. Not for one second do I even consider going to breakfast. When I'm certain everyone will be out of the cabin, I press the button on my headboard, and my bed rises up.

But to my dismay, I see my half-sister, Nyssa, staring at me.

"Nyssa, what are you doing?"

"You didn't come to breakfast. Chiron said to just wait for you to come up. You can't hide forever, Leo."

I decide to play dumb. "Hide from what?"

"Just keep telling Calypso you're sorry and you didn't do it. Chances are she'll forgive you."

Sighing, I pull on a sock. "Does everyone know about that?"

"We all know you had a fight. Calypso ran off screaming. But we don't know what for."

"Who told you? No; let me guess," I say sarcastically. The word 'Dakota' runs through my head, quickly followed by 'loud-mouthed annoying evil sneaky-peaky burned marshmallow that no one likes'.

Nyssa pushes her hair back. "I think it was one of those new girls from the Apollo cabin. The one with the short hair. Dakota. Yeah, that's her name."

Abandoning my other sock and both my shoes, I dash out of the cabin and straight to the Apollo cabin. No one is there. I try the dining pavilion, but breakfast is over. Neither of them is at the beach, either.

As a last resort, I try the forge. And lo and behold, there is one of the three triplets. Dakota sits in the back corner with Percy. Her head is on his shoulder, and she holds his hand. He looks really confused. Dakota puts her free hand on Percy's neck and pulls her face to his, but Percy notices me before Dakota can get in a kiss. Percy pulls his hand away and stands up. "Bro. I heard about Calypso."

"From who? Oh wait let me guess, _her_?"

Percy looks confused. "No," he says, "from a guy in the Aphrodite cabin."

Dakota looks miffed. "Only because I _told _them!" Then she claps her hand over her mouth. Percy starts towards me, disgusted. "Dakota, I can't believe you."

Dakota gives Percy the puppy eyes. "Percy, I was kidding. Come back. We still have cookies. And they're _blue_."

But Percy doesn't seem to care. He throws his arm across my shoulders and says, "_No one_ messes with the Half-Blood Brothers. Not even an asshat like you."

We leave Dakota sitting in the floor and shaking her head, muttering, "Half-Blood Brothers?!"

"Percy that is literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard," I say once we're out of earshot. "And also, _asshat_?"

Percy grins. "I know. I just needed an awesome club name and a horrible insult so I could make an awesome exit. Did it work?"

I laugh. "Not at all."

Percy says, "Perfect."

We walk in silence. "Percy, what were you doing? You have a girlfriend. You leave with her for Camp Jupiter in a month. Literally. 'Cause I think today's the fifteenth."

Percy looks down. "I dunno. I was just being a friend. Dakota kept talking about her old boyfriend Charlie or something like that. Then she leaned her head down on my shoulder. She started holding my hand, and I didn't know how to stop her because she was almost crying. Then she started to lean in."

"But that time… when Dayton tried to kiss me and you and Dakota were holding hands and you didn't let go."

"Oh, Dakota and I were running from Jason and Dawson, trying to play a joke on them. But what about you and Dayton?"

"Same thing as with you: I was trying to be a good friend. I was just working on a sword, and she came over to my table. Then she started talking about how she needed to hammer her sword, and I nudged her hand over to the lava sink. And then she started leaning in, and you and Dakota saved me from kissing her."

Percy shakes his head. "Yo, they are messed _up_."

"Well duh. They're coming between us and our girlfriends."

Percy nods. An awkward silence ensues, and neither of us breaks it.

But after a few more minutes of walking aimlessly, I ask Percy where we are going, because lunch is in a few hours. He makes his voice all high and girlish. "To the stars, Leo. To the stars."

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

I spend the morning in my room. Hazel brings me a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast since I didn't show up.

She sits on my bed and tries to comfort me. "Calypso, I know Leo would never try to kiss Dayton. He's much too sweet."

I sniffle and blow my nose on a tissue. "But, Hazel, consider what's happened before. Do you remember that day when Leo and Dayton were flirting at dinner? After you left that night, Leo was here. He convinced me that Dayton was just a friend. He admitted that her hair brushed his shoulder, but only because she'd scooted over. And now this."

"Calypso, I really do believe that Leo didn't do anything wrong. If he had feelings for her, he wouldn't have admitted that her hair brushed his shoulder, and he would've kept the almost-kiss a secret."

"But that's the thing: he _did_." I crumple up the tissue and shoot it into the waste basket by the door. I miss. "He didn't tell me."

"But he was _going_ to. If you really want to know what happened, use magic to see into the past."

"Does _everyone_ know my personal business nowadays?"

Hazel shrugs. "More or less."

I groan. "Alright. Hazel, pay attention. We're going to see into the past." I extend my palm and concentrate. A misty image appears.

Leo works at his table in the forge. Dayton comes in with an Apollo camper she calls Sabrina. Dayton explains why she's there, and Sabrina leaves. Dayton comes over to Leo's table after he gives her directions on making a sword. He nudges her hand.

Hazel and I simultaneously inhale. Then Dayton closes her eyes and starts to lean in. Leo looks nervous. He starts drawing away just before the forge doors opens with a bang. Percy and Dakota enter, laughing and smiling. Leo jumps away from Dayton, who opens her eyes and blushes.

Dakota mentions dinner before intertwining her fingers with Percy's. He doesn't let go, and everyone leaves the forge.

"See, Calypso?" Hazel doesn't sound smug, she just sounds kind. "Leo wasn't insinuating anything. It was all Dayton."

"But what about when he nudged her hand?"

The door to my room opens. I realize that the cloudy illustration of events is still playing. I wave my free hand through it and cut the picture off.

Chiron steps into the room. "Hazel, Calypso, good morning. I would like to introduce you to a new camper." He steps aside and a girl who looks no more than fourteen steps out from behind Chiron. She has blue eyes, pale skin, and dark hair that hangs down her back in waves.

Chiron nudges her forward. The girl blushes a deep red and says in a quiet voice, "My name is Brie. I'm new."

"Her dad is Zeus," Chiron says, "and I would like you two ladies to show her around." _Interesting hair for a daughter of Zeus; she looks more like a child of Hades_, I think to myself. _Jason's a son of Jupiter, and he has blond hair. _But Piper's shown me a picture of his sister Thalia, and she's a daughter of Zeus. Maybe Brie just got her hair from her mother

Hazel nods. "Ok. Come on, Brie. Let's take a tour of Camp Half-Blood."

I smile, but then say, "But Chiron, shouldn't we get Piper too? I've been here for only a little while, and Hazel lives at Camp Jupiter."

Chiron absentmindedly nods his head. "Miss McLean would be very helpful indeed."

Hazel, Brie, and I walk out of the Big House and over to the cabins. "These are the cabins," Hazel says. "You'll stay in the cabin of your godly parentage, which is Zeus. That means Jason is your brother. That cabin over there, that's Zeus's." She points to a cabin with bronze doors and heavy columns. "And over there," she says, pointing at the Hades cabin, "that's where I stay when I visit. My half-brother Nico lives there too. You stay in your cabins with your half-siblings, but I'm not sure how many demigod children Zeus has. That's what we are. Demigods."

Finally, Brie speaks up. "You said you visit. Where are you when you're not here? The horse-man Chiron said that this is the safest place on Earth for half-bloods aside from another place."

"I stay in the other place. It's another camp for half-bloods. It's called Camp Jupiter, and that's where the Roman demigods live."

Brie looks really confused. "Romans?"

"It's a lot to take in," I say.

We walk over to the Aphrodite cabin. Piper opens the door when we knock. Her eyes are puffy and red, and she holds a tissue. Sniffing, she says hi to me and Hazel before asking who the girl is.

"This is Brie. She's a new Zeus camper. She's got Jason for a half-brother. Piper, what's wrong," I ask.

Piper sniffs again before bursting into tears. Another girl comes up behind her. "She just found out that Jason ran off and that the Dawson girl is missing too. Oh, and I'm Lacy," she says

Piper starts crying all over again. "He's been hanging around her a lot. I mean _a lot_ a lot. Jason and I haven't even kissed since before they came here. She's just taking him over, that bitch!"

"At least she hasn't tried to kiss him yet," I say without thinking. Piper stops crying and Lacey stops patting Piper's shoulder. "Oh no," Lacy says, "Dayton didn't try that, did she?"

"Yes. She did." Piper's tears set me off, and I find it strange that I'm able to cry. I thought I'd cried myself out in the past day.

Hazel and Lacy look at us sadly. Brie stands off to the side, looking as if she doesn't want to be here, yet she knows what we're going through.

Piper is still crying. "Why can't they see the triplets for what they are? It's like our guys are… brain-dead."

Agreed," I say sadly.

Piper looks up at me. "Well, I think we should start a club."

I laugh weakly. "Deal."

Piper looks up at the cabin ceiling for a bit.

Brie speaks up. "The BBC. Brain-dead Boyfriend Club."

Piper motions for Brie to come closer. "If you've been through this before, then by all means, you're in the club."

Lacy clears her throat and says, "Isn't BBC a TV network in Britain?"

Brie takes a cautious step forward. "Yeah, BBC is a British TV network. They make Doctor Who. Doctor Who is my life. And right before I came here, I found out that my boyfriend of eight months was cheating on me the entire time we dated. With one of my best friends, Samantha."

Piper mutters, "Guys are assholes."

Lacy says, "How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

Piper pulls me into a half hug and holds out her other arm to Brie. "Welcome to the club."

/\/\/\/\

**A/N time! Hey y'all! Little Defiance here bringing another chapter of Gone. I hope all you demigods like it! And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~I present to you another OC!**

**~Next update: September 22****nd****. I just have a lot of stuff going on: volleyball, the 45 minutes of algebra homework every night, continuing to write this, even though I currently am suffering from writer's block. **

**~The sample chapter of About a Boy is up now! Y'all should go check it out. R&R's are awesome. If you want me to make it a regular thing, leave a review. If I get enough, I might continue it.**

**~Truth: Doctor Who **_**is**_** pretty amazing. I can't decide who my favorite doctor is, Nine or Ten. **

**~I love reviews! Every single one of the 1,209 views make me smile!**

**~I may make a sequel one-shot to my previous one-shot, Yes (The Mortal Instruments series).**

**~Truth: when making s'mores, I set my marshmallow on fire. Apparently, Leo isn't about that life; he's golden brown all the way.**

**I think that about sums it all up for this chapter. Keep writing reviews!**

**Be strong my little demigods.**

**-Little Defiance **


	12. Chapter 12: The 3rd Half-Blood-Brother

Chapter Twelve (Leo's PoV)

Apparently, "to the stars" is just to the woods, in a clearing that's waaaaayyy in there. Percy takes his arm off my shoulder and says, "Those triplets have really screwed things up here."

"It's not like we didn't do anything wrong, though. You gotta admit we could have done some things differently."

Percy nods. "I just wish-"

Suddenly, laughter echoes through the woods. Percy and I jump up, and Percy motions to the trees. Like the mature people we are, we hide behind them. Just in time too, because Jason and Dawson come stumbling into the little clearing. Dawson giggles, and Jason is smiling, though he looks a little uncomfortable. Neither of them seems to notice Percy and me, even though Percy's foot sticks out rather obviously from behind his tree.

Dawson moves over to a tree, and Jason follows. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who understands me like you do, Jase." She bats her eyelashes and blushes, pushing her hair back.

Jase?! She has a nickname for him?! I don't think even _Piper_ has one for him.

Percy and I look at each other. _Uh oh_, Percy mouths. We both know what's coming after this. The eyelash-batting and hair-flipping became the end of my relationship in my life.

We both jump out from behind our trees, but Dawson is faster than Dakota and Dayton. She leans forward, fast as a cobra, and presses her lips to Jason's. She twines her arms around Jason's neck. Jason seems startled, but he doesn't pull away and doesn't seem to kiss Dawson back.

Percy reaches Jason first, and I reach him shortly after. We put our hands on Jason's shoulders and pull him away from Dawson. Jason staggers back, and Dawson opens her eyes. "What are you guys doing here? We were in the middle of something," she says angrily.

Percy glares at her. "I believe the more accurate statement is what the hell are _you_ doing? Jason has a _girlfriend_. So back off, Triplet #2."

"I'm not Triplet #2," she says, "I'm Dawson. But why would you know that, Percy Jackson? Jase has told me _all_ about you. How you're a stuck-up snob who doesn't know how to share the spotlight." Dawson draws out the 'all'.

I snort. "Jase? Cute nickname. But Triplet #2 lumps you in quite nicely with the other evil sisters. Forget Apollo, you're so evil, you might as well be a Titan in disguise." I'm probably going to pay for that comment later (Apollo's ego is _huge_, according to Percy), but right now, it doesn't matter.

A look of realization dawns on Jason's face. "Dawson, seriously, what do you think is going to happen between you and me?"

Dawson snorts. "Oh, please. You wouldn't hang on to Piper. She's controlling. Has she ever used her charmspeak on you? Has she ever forced you into to doing something, or manipulated you? _I'm_ not like that." She flips her hair back as if to say, _case closed_. The smell of lavender passes over me in a wave.

Jason's eyes darken. "Piper isn't manipulative. I think you're confused. You pretended to be the quiet triplet, and then told me outright you only stay quiet because your sisters bully you. You talked for hours about how you struggled with being the responsible one, and also feeling useless when Dakota and Dayton throw you aside."

"They do," Dawson whines, "I was telling the truth."

"No, Dawson, you weren't. And I won't be with a liar. Actually, I wasn't even with you in the first place," Jason continues, "Piper is the love of my life, so deal with it. Stop prying for attention. You can tell that to your sisters too, because the only things the three of you know how to do is beg for attention, and how to come between people. So get out of my life, Dawson, just get out."

Jason turns around and stomps towards us. Percy looks at me and mouths, _please?_ I nod.

Percy throws his right arm over my shoulder and his left over Jason's. "No one messes with the Half-Blood Brothers. Not even asshats like you and your sisters."

We walk out of the clearing and through the woods. Percy smiles and says, "Nice job telling her off, superman."

I'm fantasizing about lunch, which will be starting when we get back, hopefully. Jason is sputtering. "Half-Blood Brothers? And…?"

I burst into laughter. Percy looks at me, and then we speak at the same time.

"Don't ask."

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

Piper and I wallow in sadness a little while longer before heading off to lunch with Brie, Hazel, and Lacy. Lacy mutters a bit about her boyfriend, who she says is a Hermes camper. Brie just looks off into space, and Hazel doesn't speak, just turning a huge ruby over and over in her hand.

From my table, I can see Piper and Lacy sitting and chatting at the Aphrodite table. Piper shoots dirty looks at Dakota, Dawson, and Dayton. But Dawson doesn't look at Jason, and Dayton doesn't look at Leo, who I try not to make eye contact with. Dakota continues to look at Percy, but when he glares back at her, she shrinks back in her chair. I can see Hazel and Nico as they dump their food into the brazier. I can see Jason as he leads Brie up to the flaming brazier and shows her how to push some food into the brazier for Zeus.

Brie's tour of Camp Half-Blood starts after lunch. We take Brie to the lake, the lava-spewing climbing wall, the woods, the sword arena, and other training areas. Brie takes everything in with wide eyes.

When we get to the weapons shed, Brie stands still, just looking at the weapons for a while. Then she wades to the back of the shed and picks up a sword. "I don't know," she says. "That's ok," Piper says. "You don't need to pick up a weapon right away."

Hazel looks at me. "Calypso," she says, "do you need a weapon?"

I nod. "I haven't been by here yet." I see a dagger with a white blade and a hilt inlaid with rubies. "This one," I say. I stick it in my boot.

Brie hugs herself. "I feel awkward here… can we go?" Piper nods, and we go to the beach and relax until dinner. We seem to be the only ones on the beach which is nice, but we all are fairly miserable.

Dinner is a dish called pad Thai noodles. I don't really taste it as I eat. As much as I don't want to think about him, Leo crosses my mind from time to time. I miss him, and I want to see him. I know I probably shouldn't want anything to do with him. Yet, not being with him reminds me of Ogygia without him. It seemed way too quiet without him hammering on some metal or something…

I shake my head. I don't want to think about Ogygia, or Leo. No, wait, I _do_ want to think about Leo. I don't. I do. I don't know.

After dinner, Hazel, Piper, and Lacy invite me to go on a walk on the beach with them, but I politely decline and go back to the Big House, seeking peace and quiet.

When I push open the door to my room, I see I have a visitor. He stands awkwardly in the middle of the room. He looks _very_ out of place.

"Hey, Calypso," he says.

"Jason," I say. I'm surprised. I thought Jason didn't trust me.

"Yeah. Um, I'm here to talk to you about Leo." He scratches the back of his neck.

"Leo. Okay. Well, sit down," I say, gesturing towards the chair by my desk.

Jason sits. "He's sad," Jason says, getting right to the point. "I know he misses you. He tries to hide it, but I know him too well."

I look at the floor. "Yes, well, I miss him too," I mutter.

Jason leans back in the chair. "Then why don't you start seeing him again?"

I sigh. "It's not that simple. Some things just happen, and you can't forget. I can't forget that he and Dayton almost kissed."

"But that's the thing: he and Dayton _almost_ kissed. And as I recall, Leo says that Dayton almost kissed him, not that he almost kissed her. Dayton was the one who insinuated it all. Leo only loves you."

"Jason, if you don't already know, I love Leo. I love him more than anything in the world. I want to be with him, but I want to trust him."

"You can," Jason says, almost desperately. "You can trust him. You can trust him because he loves you and would do anything for you. I think you know that. Somewhere deep inside, you know that. Now I'm not saying you're looking for an excuse to be mad, but just give him a chance." Jason takes a breath. "_Another_ chance," he adds, seeing my dubious look. "Just wait here." Jason gets up, and opens the door.

"Jason, if you're going to get him-don't."

I stand up hurriedly. But Jason is already out the door, and a boy with curly hair is poking his head in.

Leo steps into my room. "Hi there," he says, "how is your night going?"

I can't help but smile at his words. Leo is being just as funny as usual. "Hi Leo."

"Listen, I'm sorry. I've probably already said that, but I'm sorry. The whole thing with Dayton was stupid, and I should've told you before the triplets came by. I love you, Calypso. I've never loved anyone the way I love you. Other than my mom. But seriously, if you can't fall asleep, I'll come to you and sing until you fall asleep. But I'm really bad at singing, so that's not a good idea. I'd sail the whole world to find you. I would do anything for you. I love you. I'm sorry." He looks at me, somewhat nervously.

I take in a breath and try not to cry. "I want to be with you. But I need to know if I can trust you."

"You can. I promise I'll stay away from Dayton."

We look at each other.

Crossing the room in about three steps, Leo sweeps me into a hug. He holds me tight, tighter than he ever has before. "I love you," he says.

I smile against his shirt. Leo's arms. This is where I feel safest. Nothing could hurt me here. With Leo, there's a sense of security that I could get with no one else.

"I love you more," I say.

Leo kisses my forehead, then my nose, then my cheek, then my lips. After a final kiss on my nose, he says, "I love you most."

/\/\/\/\

**A/N TIME! My gosh guys, I'm so sorry this chapter is late! It's been s stressful the past 2 weeks! I hope you all like this chapter of Gone! And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~I am SO SO SO sorry this is late! Last night I had a volleyball game (we were crushed because we played the wrong team), and I had Algebra homework and I had to study for an Algebra test today! I will try my best to keep it from happening again.**

**~Dawson moves in on Jason! Ooooooh.**

**~Sample chapter of About a Boy is up now! R&R's are great! If I get 10 reviews by October 15****th****, I'll probably continue it! I know a lot of you guys have added it to your follow/favorite list (thanks!), and if you want to see more, leave a review!**

**~Next update: Tuesday, September 30****th****.**

**~I love reviews, keep writing them!**

**~Doc manager didn't work last time, and I thought I uploaded 12 but I uploaded 10! I'm so sorry guys!**

**Blood of Olympus**** comes out so soon! I'M SO EXCITED!**

**I think that's about it! If you like the Mortal Instruments series, make sure you check out my on-shot, Yes, and my sample chapter of About a Boy! **

**Be strong my little demigods.**

**-Little Defiance**


	13. Chapter 13: Cake and Volleyball

Chapter Thirteen (Leo's PoV)

Calypso is on my mind as I walk towards my cabin. Jason walks next to me, smiling. "See, I told you," he says. "I knew she'd let you back. I think it's that hair."

I run a casual hand through my hair. "That's it. And my irresistible charm. And of course, the fact that I am the super-sized mcshizzle man."

Jason punches my arm. "Good night, weirdo." He turns off and enters Cabin 1, the cabin for Zeus. I enter Cabin 9, and see that all my cabin mates are asleep. I press a button on the wall, hoping my bed will rise out of the ground quietly so my half-siblings don't wake up.

Sure enough, my bed rises silently, and I sink into bed without getting undressed. My bed sinks back under the cabin floor, and I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

(Time lapse to next morning)

I wake up to my bed above the floor. Nyssa is standing above me. "What is with you and standing above my bed?" I stand up and rub my eyes.

"Sorry," Nyssa says in a matter-of-fact tone. "But you're due to teach a class in the forge to some 12-year-olds in…" She glances at a clock on the wall above my head board. "Thirty minutes, and breakfast is almost over."

She leaves the cabin, and I stretch and glance at the clock. I remember making that clock. It says, "Taco time!" when dinner is served (and if we're having tacos), or "Pasta time!" if pasta is being served, or anything else if it's being served. The wakeup call is "Rise and shine! Sharpen your tools; it's time to get up!" And if no one presses the button on the side, the clock starts screaming, "GET UP GET UP GET UP GET UP GET UP LAZY BOOOONES!" The lunch chime is the same as the dinner one.

I dress hurriedly, and dash to breakfast. I eat a tall plate of waffles, and have a chat with Calypso on my way to the forge.

She kisses my cheek. "Good morning."

"Morning." I pull her in for a tight hug and a kiss. She smiles. "I have a surprise for you later today," she says. I run my hand through my unruly hair. "Coolio."

She looks at me strangely. "What does coolio mean?"

It sounds strange coming out of her mouth. "Never mind." I kiss her cheek and rush off to the forge.

(Time lapse three hours)

"Alright kiddos. Time for lunch." All the kids in the forge form an orderly line. I notice the smallest one; a boy with brown hair stands up as straight as he can. His eyes are wide, hazel-green, and determined. A taller boy cuts in front of him. "Out of the way, Daniels," the taller boy says, and pushes the smaller one back. The little guy stumbles and loses his balance, falling on the floor. The line starts to move out, and the boy stares at the ground.

I walk over to him and help him up. "Hey buddy. You okay?"

He brushes himself off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Rufus does that a lot, so I know what to do."

"Rufus, huh? He's the jerk who pushed you. So what's your name?"

"Henry. Henry Daniels."

"I'm Leo Valdez. My dad is Hephaestus and that's how I know how to build stuff like this," I say and whistle. Festus II the dragonfly flutters in through the forge's open door. I smile. I'd found out he could do that a few days ago when I'd been whistling a casual tune and he appeared.

Henry's eyes widen. "Woah! You built this?" His eyes, already wide, get even bigger. "This is so cool! What's its name?"

"Festus II. I named him after a real bronze dragon I fixed up."

"Wow!"

"Come on, buddy. Lunch is waiting," I say, and then whistle again. Festus does a little flip in mid air, and then departs through an open window. Henry's eyes follow it. "I wish I could build things like that. But my dad isn't Hephaestus. Actually, my dad isn't a god at all. My mom is Athena."

I nod. "That's cool. Wisdom, knowledge, that kind of stuff."

Henry nods. "I like school and puzzles, and problem solving using logic."

"Well," I say, ruffling his hair, "how about you use knowledge to find a new way to the dining pavilion? It's time for lunch."

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

After lunch, Leo comes walking over to me casually. His hands are stuffed in his pockets, and he is smiling slightly. "Hi there," he says, throwing an arm around me.

"Hello," I say cheerily. "Come with me." Leo's arm slips from my shoulders, and he catches my hand. We walk over to the edge of the kitchens. The cleaning harpies won't let us in, of course, unless we're doing chores, but I persuaded them to make me something special for today.

I knock three times on the door. A harpy comes out, holding a cake. "For your birthday. We never got to celebrate it."

Leo gives me a hug. "Awesome. Thanks, Calypso." He kisses my cheek and takes the cake from the harpy, who looks at us impatiently. We take the cake to the beach to eat together.

The harpies did a wonderful job on the cake. It is shaped like a circle, and covered in orange frosting that sparkles in the sun. I shoot fake fire out of my fingertips, making the cake look to be on fire but not actually burn. Leo's eyes widen, but I pat his hand and divide the cake into eight pieces by holding my fingers over the cake and drawing the lines.

Leo takes a bite from one piece. "Mmmmm," he murmurs through his mouth full of cake. "This. Is. _Amazing_."

I nod. "The harpies really outdid themselves, huh?" Leo nods.

It takes us about an hour to finish the whole cake. It's amazing how easy it is to adjust to having normal time, not the 'time' on Ogygia.

After the last crumbs of the cake are gone, Leo pulls me to my feet. "I have to go to the forge, but I'll see you at dinner, alright?"

"Sure." Leo gives me a kiss and then he's gone.

While I wait for dinner, I meet Piper by the lake, and we knock on the door of the Hades cabin. Nico opens the door. "Piper, Calypso," he says.

"Hi Nico," Piper says. "Is Hazel there?"

Nico shakes his head. "She left with Frank."

Piper nods. "They're probably out walking. Well, bye." Nico nods and shuts the door.

Then we walk over to the Zeus cabin. Piper hangs back from the door. Sensing her distress, I helpfully knock on the door. Thankfully, Jason doesn't open the door. Brie does. "Hey Piper, Calypso," she says, stepping outside.

"Calypso and I were just heading out to the volleyball court. Want to come?"

I stare at Piper. I do not know what this 'volleyball' is. Is it some type of sport?

Brie nods. "Sure. I'd love to play volleyball. One of my best friends, Sydney, got asked by the varsity coach at our high school to play next year, and we're only going to be freshmen."

Piper shoots a sideways look at me. I remember her saying that the more powerful the half-blood, the more monsters they attract. A child of Zeus would definitely pull monsters towards her. Chiron probably won't let Brie leave camp during the school year. She may never _be_ a freshman, whatever that is.

Piper grabs a ball off the sand of the volleyball pit. "Brie, you know how to do this, right?"

"Sure." Brie tosses the ball up and smacks it with her hands. It sails over the net and hits the sand at Piper's feet.

"Nice!" Piper scoops the ball up and hits it back to her. "Calypso, do you want to try serving?"

I want to say, _No! I don't even know how to do it! I've seen two serves in my entire life! How am I supposed to know this?_ But I take up the challenge. "Okay, could you just show me a few more times?" Piper nods, and Brie serves it back.

Then it's my turn. Here's the big moment. I toss the ball in the air, and smack it with my open hand the way Piper and Brie did. The ball flies over the net and hits the ground at Brie's feet. "Nice one," Piper says. "You're a natural."

"Thanks," I say. "This is the first time I've served." Brie serves the ball back. "Good job, Calypso!"

Piper hands me the ball to toss it up again. I throw the ball in the air, but a shout in the distance breaks my focus, and the ball comes down. And it hits my face.

/\/\/\/\

**A/N TIME! Heyo! Little Defiance here, bringing y'all another chapter of Gone (on time!). I hope all you guys like it! And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~Next update: Wednesday, October 8****th****. Yay, October. Fall. Sweaters. Hot chocolate. Yay.**

**~Truth: volleyball is amazhang. **

**~I would totally eat cake that the harpies made. **

**~BOO comes out in under 10 days! Squee!**

**~I know some of you are probably wondering where Annabeth is, but she and Calypso haven't really met/reconciled after the whole curse-while-in-Tartarus thing. But I promise there will be Percabeth. I promise.**

**~I'm going to change my pen name. Just so ya know. **

**I think that's it. Thanks for those nice reviews, and all these views/favorites/follows! I hope you guys like this chapter.**

**Be strong my little demigods.**

**-Little Defiance**


	14. Chapter 14: Uncle Leo Strikes Again

Chapter Fourteen (Leo's PoV)

After dinner, I meet Jason and Percy at the sword arena for practice. "I thought you fight with your tool belt," Jason said when I showed up with a sword I made in the forge today.

"I normally do, but lately I've been trying out some new swords. I do make some fabulous ones, and I need to make sure they, you know, work."

Percy looks at me strangely. "You literally just swing a sword. How should it 'work'?"

"Well, how would you feel if your sword BROKE IN HALF while you were fighting a monster?" I wiggle my eyebrows mischievously.

Percy blinks. "Done." He and Jason start to- I don't know how to put this-'duel'. They strike and block and parry, and sparks fly off their blades. Percy sneaks in a swing, and Jason's upper arm gets cut. Percy grins. Jason raises his eyebrows and slices Percy's arm, giving him a shallow cut that matches his own.

Percy stops grinning. "Last time I get distracted," he says, almost snarling. I suppress a grin. Perce gets _way_ too into things like this.

After another fifteen minutes, Percy and Jason quit their fighting. "Okay, well, I'm meeting up with Annabeth in a bit. See ya."

Jason looks at the ground as Percy walks away. "Piper isn't talking to me," he says. "I think it's because of Dawson."

"That sucks," I say. "That whole thing with Dayton and Calypso… Weird."

Jason exhales. "I love Piper, but I don't know how to get her to talk to me."

"Bro. You talked to Calypso for me. Now it's my turn. Uncle Leo's gonna help you out!"

(Time lapse 15 minutes)

I knock on the Aphrodite cabin door. The whole building is pink, and the smell of perfume is almost choking me.

A girl opens the door; a girl who is not Piper. "Can I help you?"

"Uh, yeah. Is Piper there?"

The girl hesitates. But then I hear Piper's voice echoing from inside the cabin. "Who is it, Lacy?"

Lacy says, "It's Leo."

Silence. Then, "Let him in." I step inside the cabin. The perfume smell is even stronger now. I gag. I see Piper sitting on a bed. A poster of her dad, Tristan McLean, hangs above her pillow. Piper stares at the ground, her knees pulled tight to her chest.

"Hey, Leo."

"Hey, Pipes. Are you okay?"

Piper sighs. "Sure. I'm fine."

"Look, I know you're mad at Jason. I know the whole thing with Dawson has you on the edge. But Jason is _really sorry_. Percy and I saw what happened. Dawson was the one who kissed Jason!"

Piper's eyes widen. I hear a little gasp behind me. Turning around, I see Lacy standing openmouthed by a bed that must be hers. "She _kissed_ him?!" Piper's eyes fill with tears. Oops. I guess Piper didn't know about that.

"Pipes, come on. Jason is really sorry. After Dawson kissed him, he told her off for being manipulative, and he called you the love of his life. And you _are_ the love of his life. And he's the love of yours. Just give him another chance. It wasn't his fault. It's Dawson's fault. The same thing happened to Percy with Dakota, and to me with Dayton. Jason came through for me. And now I'm coming through for him, and for you. Piper, you know that you love Jason, and that he loves you. So I think you need to talk to him, and tell him how much you love him, and that you forgive him. Because I know you do, Piper. I know you do."

Piper blinks. "Wow, Leo. I didn't think you had that in you. Come here." She opens her arms, and I give her a hug. A sisterly/brotherly hug. "Thank you," Piper whispers in my ear. I let go and stand up, gently taking Piper's hand. "Come on Pipes." I lead her out of the cabin. Jason is standing just past the cabin's porch.

"I'm really sorry Piper. I-"

Jason never finishes his sentence. Piper flies into his arms. "Jason, I'm sorry about this whole thing," she says. Jason hugs Piper tight. "I love you Piper. I love you and I'm sorry, and if it makes you happy, I'll throw myself into the lake."

Piper frames Jason's face with her hands. "I'm happy now. No need to throw yourself into the lake." She kisses Jason's nose.

I turn away, feeling like I'm intruding on a private moment. While I'm glad that Piper and Jason made up, I think they need some time alone.

Smiling to myself, I look up at the stars and whisper, "And Uncle Leo strikes again."

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

The next day, Hazel visits me. Leo is off doing something with Jason probably, so I stay in my room where I can get some peace and quiet.

"It seems like we haven't talked in forever," Hazel says when I open the door.

"I know, right," I say. Then I consider my voice. "Wow, I sound strange." Hazel laughs. "You get used to it." We chat for a while, just about the food here, and when Hazel's going back to Camp Jupiter.

Hazel sighs. "Well, this was kind of a surprise visit… Leo got hurt, and we came to see him two days before he woke up, and now he's recovered." Hazel counts on her fingers. "We've been here for nine days… we'll probably have to leave soon because of Frank's praetor duties… He basically runs New Rome with Reyna."

I nod, ignoring the fact that I don't know who "Reyna" is. "So… are you leaving tomorrow?"

Hazel stretches. "Maybe. I have to talk to Frank. I think he's toughing it out in the Ares cabin." She smiles. "Okay, well, I should go start packing up."

"Bye, Hazel." She gives me a hug and then departs.

About two hours later, I meet up with Hazel and Brie to serve the volleyball back and forth.

The day flies by, and I spend a lot of time smiling and laughing. After dinner, Piper, Lacy, Brie, and I walk the beach. Piper is happy because she and Jason made up. Brie seems happy, but I'm not prying for information. Lacy is happy too, because apparently, her relationship with the boy from the Hermes cabin is going well. And, of course, I'm happy too.

So we're all happy. When I go to bed, I'm still happy. I'm almost half asleep when the door to my room opens. Someone tall steps in, and they fill almost the whole doorway. "Hello?"

The person steps forward and I hear a snap. All of a sudden, my vision goes black. Then I feel a sharp pain in my right forearm. "What-"

My wrists are pushed together, and so are my ankles. When I try to move my hands apart, I find I can't. My ankles are in the same situation too. They're probably bound.

My bed falls away, so I probably just got lifted into the air. It feels like seconds pass, and also hours, until I feel a hard surface under me. My arm hurts to the point of screaming, but I hold it in.

"Did you get the others?" The voice is rough, and obviously male.

"Got 'em." This voice is smoother and male as well.

I hear three thuds, and three cries of pain. Then I hear a Velcro sound, and two muffled slams.

I hear hushed sobs. Then a voice that belongs to Piper. "Hello?"

Two more voices: Hazel's, and then one I'm not familiar with. "Piper?" That's Hazel. "What's happening?" That's the voice I don't know. Piper says, "Hazel? Annabeth?" So that's who the second voice is. Then I say, "What's going on?"

Both Hazel and Piper go "Calypso?" and I notice Annabeth is quiet. Piper's voice: "Did everyone else get taken out of their beds?"

Hazel and Annabeth say "Yeah" at the same time. "Me too. And I think they broke my arm," I say.

Annabeth says, "I started to scream, and someone covered my mouth with their hand and then I felt a foot on my ankle, and then heard a snap, and then it started to hurt. The one I broke before, in Rome."

Hazel says, "My right hand hurts really badly."

Piper says, "My shoulder feels like it's dislocated."

Annabeth says, "Great."

And it's as I lay here, my arm probably broken, my vision black, and the presence of Piper, Hazel, and Annabeth surrounding me, that I come to the conclusion: we're being kidnapped.

I won't wake up and see Leo.

I won't get to tell him I love him for who knows who long.

I'll be gone.

Gone.

/\/\/\/\

**A/N Time! I'm bringing you another chapter of Gone! Chapter 14 already, wow. And now the chapterly stuff!**

**~I changed my pen name. (duh)**

**~The story's title comes into play!**

**~Next update: Monday, October 20****th****. Sorry about the wait, but my life is getting busier and busier, and I'm still dealing with writer's block.**

**~BoO is finally out! I got my copy yesterday! But no spoilers for y'all.**

**~Uncle Leo doesn't really strike 'again', you could say, but Leo's lines can be pretty cheesy, in this fanfic and in the real books.**

**~It's hard to believe that HoO is over! Or, to quote a fanfic that made me cry, it's not over; just forever unfinished. (before by michaelsvans on wattpad).**

**I thinks that's it! I love you all!**

**Be strong my little demigods.**

**-SWiQ**

**~yes I know my pen name spells SWiQ. I like it. It's interesting and unusual, like me. **


End file.
